


Santana's Crush

by Nayanna_Rivergron



Category: Glee
Genre: F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-16
Updated: 2016-03-14
Packaged: 2018-02-17 14:12:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 38
Words: 130,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2312462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nayanna_Rivergron/pseuds/Nayanna_Rivergron
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Santana develops a crush on her baby sitter Quinn Fabray. Follow Santana's journey as she navigates her ever growing feelings for Quinn.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Santana Lopez was only eight years old when she developed her very first crush. She didn't have a crush on a famous celebrity, or even a boy band member, nope her first crush was on her baby sitter Quinn Fabray. Santana thought she was the prettiest person she ever saw other than her mother, and of course Cinderella. She was so excited when her mom and dad told her that Quinn was coming to baby sit her tonight; this is the reason why she is tearing through her closet trying to find the perfect thing to wear. After spending an hour trying to find something to wear, she finally decided on a black skirt, with white polka dotted leggings, and a black and white sweater, it was one of Quinn's favorite outfits. She looked at herself in long mirror in the corner of her room and smiled, she looked good. Santana was about to sit down at her vanity, when she heard her mother calling her to come down stairs.

"I'm coming mami!" Santana yelled as she ran down the stairs, almost sliding across the hardwood floor at the bottom of the stairs.

Maribel rounded the corner just in time to catch her daughter, "Mija, what did I tell you about running down the steps? You could have been hurt."

Santana gave her mom a sheepish smile, "Sorry mami, I will be more careful when coming down the stairs. Is Quinnie here yet?"

Maribel shook her head, "Not yet, why don't you go into the family room and watch cartoons until she comes." She gave her daughter a knowing smile. Maribel knew that her daughter had more than a little crush on Quinn, to her it was cute, but she didn't let Santana know that she knew.

"Okay mami." Santana easily agreed as she made her way to the family room and turned to the Disney Channel.

As soon as the theme song for Kim Possible started playing the doorbell rang. Santana hopped off the chair and made her way towards the door pushing her father out the way.

"I'll get it! It's probably Quinnie." She ran to the door and came to a stop as she fixed her hair and smoothed over her outfit. She opened up the door, and true to her guess, there was Quinn standing there.

"Hi munchkin! What did mom and dad tell you about opening the door without asking who it is first?" She playfully scolded the girl as she picked her up in her arms.

Santana frowned a little, "Not to open the door without asking who it is." She replied softly, "but to my defense, mami is right there." She pointed to where her mom was standing.

Unknowing to Santana her mom sent Quinn a playful wink. They knew the only time Santana was allowed to open the door without asking was if it was Quinn or Judy. Even if Kurt and Mercedes came by, her mom and dad would always answer the door.

"Santana, let Quinn come into the house, we want to talk to her too." Her father's voice floated through the room.

"Sorry papi. I was just so happy to see her." She replied as Quinn put her down. Santana was a little put out that Quinn had to put her down.

"Thank you for agreeing to do this on short notice. I hope you didn't have to cancel any plans to come watch Santana, Judy would have been more than happy to watch her." Xavier told the teenager standing before him.

Quinn gave a small smile, "I didn't have any plans tonight, besides I love watching my favorite girl." She replied, playing with a strand of Santana's hair. This caused Santana to look up and give Quinn a big smile.

"I'm going to finish getting ready. I will leave the two of you to it." Maribel excused herself and made her way upstairs followed by her husband, leaving the teenager and their daughter alone.

"What do you want to do munchkin?" She asked as she tickled Santana's sides.

Santana started laughing uncontrollably, she was very ticklish, and it was hard for her to talk. Quinn didn't let up on her assault, she loved hearing Santana laugh to her it's one of the cutest sounds ever.

"Quinni-ie stop no more." She squealed in delight, "I'm gonna pee on myself." She finally said, she knew that this would get Quinn to stop.

True enough Quinn stopped tickling her and let Santana catch her breath. Once Santana caught her breath, she touched Quinn, "Tag you're it!" She yelled as she took off running with Quinn hot on her heels.

Santana hid under the desk in her dad's office, she knew that is one place that Quinn would ever think to look. She could hear Quinn calling her name, but she didn't come out. She heard the footsteps on the carpet in her dad's office.

"Where can Santana be?" Quinn walked over to the little closet and opened it, "She's not in here. I guess I have to tell mom and dad that she disappeared. Then they will give away her room and all her toys." She looked all over the spacious room and walked out, she knew Santana was hiding under the desk, but wanted the little girl to think that she didn't know where she was.

Santana popped her head up from under the desk to make sure that Quinn wasn't still in there. When she saw that the room was empty she got up and made her way to the door, ready to sneak out, but she closed the door softly when she heard footsteps. Once the footsteps became lighter, Santana opened the door and she heard her parents and Quinn talking.

"I don't know where she could be. We were playing hide and go seek and she disappeared into thin air." She heard Quinn explaining to her parents.

"I'm sorry Quinn, since she disappeared; we don't need you to baby sit anymore." Her mother replied.

Santana gasped and opened up the door and ran into the kitchen where her mom and dad were.

"I'm right here! I didn't disappear; I was hiding under the desk. Please don't send Quinnie home." She pleaded with her parents.

Quinn came up behind Santana, "Gotcha munchkin!"

Santana crossed her arms with a scowl on her face, "That's not funny. I don't want you to go."

"I'm not going anywhere, you're stuck with me cutie." She reassured the girl.

Maribel smiled; those two were too cute for words sometimes. She was glad that Santana had taken a liking to Quinn and vice versa. It's not every day that she gets to see a big smile on her daughters face. Sure Santana smiled a lot, but she had a smile that was only meant for Quinn.

"Alright girls, we are getting ready to go." Xavier chimed in, he knelt down so that he was at Santana's level, "Santana, be good and listen to Quinn. She is in charge, not you." He told her, even though they both knew she knew this.

"I'm always on my best behavior for Quinnie." She told him sweetly.

He gave her a hug and a kiss on the nose, before standing up and doing the same with Quinn followed by a hug and kiss from Maribel. The two girls followed them to the door and once they were gone, Quinn locked the door and turned to face Santana.

"It's just you and me munchkin. Did you eat yet?"

Santana shook her head, "No, mami put the lasagna in the oven already. You just have to make the salad and the bread sticks."

Quinn smiled, "Why don't we go watch a movie until it's time for me to take the lasagna out."

"Can we watch The Little Mermaid?" She asked.

"Don't you ever get tired of watching that movie? There are more Disney movies you know?" Quinn asked her charge.

Santana shrugged, "Duh, I know there are different Disney movies but I like The Little Mermaid. Ariel is awesome; I love when she turns into a human."

Quinn just nodded her head in agreement and led Santana in the family room, where they sat on the couch and prepared to watch The Little Mermaid. Although, Quinn has seen this movie a million times already, she can't help but smile when Santana sings along to the songs and quote her favorite parts of the movie. She remembered what it was like to be that young and innocent.

The timer on the oven went off while Santana was singing "Kiss the Girl", Quinn got up and made her way to the kitchen she hoped Santana wouldn't notice that she was gone. She milled about the kitchen making the salad and warming up the breadsticks. She had to admit babysitting Santana brought her such joy. There was something about the little girl she just loves, plus it gives her a chance to do things, that a girl her age wouldn't be caught doing. Santana's so full of life and very mischievous, she was like a little sister she never had. The salad and breadsticks were done; all that was missing is Santana.

"Santana, dinners ready. Pause the movie and come eat." She called out into the family room.

Santana made her way to the kitchen, "Good. I am really hungry." She sat down at the kitchen table, as Quinn brought their plates to the table.

"What kind of salad dressing do you want munchkin?" Quinn asked, she already knew the answer.

Santana frowned, "Quinnie, you should know this already." She stated.

Quinn smiled, "I know munchkin, just wanted to see what you were gonna say." She poured a little ranch dressing over the little girl's salad. "Now eat up."

Quinn didn't have to tell Santana twice when the girl started eating her food. Santana is a hearty eater; nothing stands in the way of her and food. They made small talk about school, and other things.

Santana stopped eating and looked at Quinn, "Did you mean it when you told mami and papi that I was your favorite girl?"

Quinn swallowed her food and turned to Santana, "Of course you are. You're the only little girl in my life, and I wouldn't change it for the world." She gave Santana a reassuring smile.

Santana smiled, "You're my favorite babysitter. I don't want another one, just you."

Quinn smiled as her heart melted, "I'm glad. I would be hurt if you were to replace me." She joked.

They started eating again until Santana stopped again, "What's high school like?"

Quinn had to think about how she wanted to answer; Santana was still young so she had to think about how she was going to respond. She wanted to give an answer the girl could understand.

"High school is a lot different than elementary school. There are a lot of classes, there is no recess and the school is bigger. You'll see when you get older."

Santana furrowed her eyebrows, "I don't want to go to high school. I want to stay little forever, I will be able to play with my friends and have recess."

"When you get older you will probably think different. Now finish eating so you can get a bath, and we can finish watching your movie."

Santana crossed her arms, "I don't have to take a bath. I took one earlier, and I haven't been outside. I'm clean. Smell me." She leaned into Quinn so the other girl could smell her.

Quinn shook her head and stood firm, "You know the drill munchkin, bath, movie, and sundaes." She knew that Santana wouldn't protest to Quinn's famous sundae.

The smaller girl pushed her chair back and got up from the table, "We will have sundaes right? This isn't a bribe to get me to take a bath is it?"

Quinn tried not to laugh at the serious look Santana was giving her. She was so adorable trying to be intimidating. Quinn had a feeling that when Santana got older that glare would probably send people running, but for now it was just so damn cute.

"It's not a bribe, now get upstairs and get in the bath. I will be up there in a few minutes to wash your hair." Quinn got up from the table, taking the used dishes to the sink.

She watched as Santana turned and made her way upstairs. That little girl was going to be the death of her. Quinn went about straightening up the kitchen and washing the dishes. The Lopez house has always been a second home to her and she considered them family, and she knew that they considered her and her mom as family too. She was actually thankful that the family of three moved in when they did. They were her escape when things at home were bad between her mom and dad. Quinn shook her head to rid herself of the negative thoughts. The kitchen was cleaned and the bowls, spoons, and all the ingredients for the sundaes were placed on the counter. Quinn turned off the light and headed up the stairs to help Santana wash her hair.


	2. Dinner, Baths, and Sundaes, Oh My

Quinn made her way up the long, winding, stairs that she was all too familiar with. She loved looking at the different pictures of Santana at different stages of her life; she knew that the little girl's parents loved her a lot. She stopped when she noticed a picture she had never seen before, Santana was sitting in a garden in white dress with pink and blue flowers on it, her hair was in two pigtails, and she had a big smile on her face with her dimples showing. There was another little girl in the picture, but she was looking away from the camera. It was a very candid picture; Quinn knew that when Santana got older she was going to be a knock-out and a real heartbreaker.

Quinn continued her decent up the stairs, where she could hear Santana singing Spice Girls _Wannabe._ She tried to stifle her laugh when she saw the little girl plaing and singing to her dolls, it was too cute. She decided to wait before making her presence known.

_If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends._ Santana was in her own little world, she used to hate bath time, but now she likes it.

Quinn was impressed at how this eight year old little girl could sound like an angel when she sings. She decided to make her presence known by singing the next line, " _Make it last forever friendship never ends, if you wanna be my lover, you have got to give, taking is too easy but that's the way it is,_ " Quinn finished for her, causing Santana to squeal in delight.

Santana tried her best to glare at Quinn, "Quinnie, you're supposed to make noise when you walk into a room, it's the polite thing to do." She told Quinn as she crossed her arms on her chest.

Quinn laughed it off and made her way to the edge of the tub, "I am sorry Miss. Lopez, I didn't want to interrupt your singing. I did not know you liked the Spice Girls."

Santana nodded enthusiastically, "They are the greatest girl group ever! Do you like the Spice Girls?"

"Yes, I absolutely love them, my favorite is Sporty Spice. Who is your favorite one?" Quinn asked.

Santana put a finger to her cheek as if she was in deep thought, "I like them all, but I like Posh, she is a nice dresser and she has class." The little girl explained.

Quinn grabbed the shampoo, "Yes, I will agree, Posh is a nice dresser. Now let's get your hair washed before you turn into a raisin."

Santana smiled as she watched Quinn drizzle the shampoo on her head, she closed her eyes when Quinn began lathering up the liquid. Santana didn't like it when the suds got into her eyes, she enjoys when Quinn help wash her hair, it's soothing and she doesn't scratch her head like her mom does. To her Quinn is the best hair washer, to Santana Quinn was the best everything.

"Alright little lady, close your eyes tight so I can wash out the shampoo." She told Santana as she pulled out the sprayer to rinse her hair.

Santana didn't have to be told twice, she closed her eyes tightly and used her hands to cover her hears. She didn't like it when she got water in her ears; it made her unable to hear. Santana got lost in the sensation of Quinn running her fingers through her hair, trying to untangle it as she rinsed her hair clean. Quinn got a towel and immediately began drying Santana's hair along with her face and ears.

"You can open your eyes now. I'm done." Quinn told her softly.

"Thank you Quinn. I think I am clean now, can I get out?"

Quinn nodded and held out a fresh dry towel for the girl to dry off with. Santana got out of the tub carefully she didn't want to fall back into the water; her baby sitter helped her as she wrapped the towel around her body. She remembered there was one point in time where Santana didn't want anyone to look at her as she got out of the bathtub, but now that's changed.

"Can we have sundaes after I put on my pajamas?" Santana asked timidly.

"Yep. Now go get dressed while I straighten up in here." She tapped the girl lightly on the nose with her finger. This caused Santana to sprint to her room to get dressed.

Quinn picked the toys up out of the bathtub and put them in the little white basket that housed the rest of Santana's toys. She let the water out and ran some fresh water to get rid of the bubbles that still lingered in the tub. After that was done she put the dirty towels in the dirty clothes hamper and put the wet bath rag on the rack that was on the side of the tub. She turned off the lights and made her way to Santana's room.

Santana was already dressed and was sitting at her white vanity brushing through her wet hair. For a little girl, her room was quite grown up – most kids would have cartoon themes on their blankets and sheets, maybe even the curtains. Not Santana, though; her room had a white four poster canopy bed adorned with a white and pink comforter with a huge pink flower in the middle. Her sheets had flowers on them too and there was a rug in the shape of a flower in front of her bed. Santana's name was written in pink and white wooden letters on her wall with a princess crown on the A at the end of her name. Her room was definitely a room for a princess, which she was. Santana saw Quinn enter her room from the mirror and she grinned like a Cheshire cat.

"Look, Quinnie! I brushed my hair and everything. Can we go have sundaes now? Please?" Santana asked, pouting a little bit.

Quinn shook her head. Santana knew how to play her. "Yes, we can have sundaes, but not too many, though, I don't want you to get a tummy ache," she warned.

Santana rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Spoil my fun." She ran downstairs to the kitchen. Quinn wasn't too far behind the girl; she shook her head at her enthusiasm.

Without a word Quinn went about getting the ingredients to make her celebrated sundaes that Santana loved so much. Santana watched as she made the delicious ice cream concoction that was sure to induce a sugar coma. Once Quinn was finished, she put the bowls of ice cream on a tray and took them into the den where she placed them on the table. Santana followed behind her and jumped on the couch. Quinn handed her the bowl and got one for herself. She sat down next to the girl and grabbed the remote pressing play.

They spent the rest of the time in silence as they watched the movie and ate their ice cream. Santana finished her dessert and cuddled up next to Quinn, laying her head in her lap. Quinn put her bowl on the side table and started running her fingers through Santana's hair. She knew that it calmed the little girl and made it easier for her to fall asleep. Right on cue she looked down and saw that Santana was indeed asleep. She turned off the movie and cradled Santana in her arms as she stood up, careful not to wake the sleeping girl.

Quinn took her upstairs to her room and tucked her into her bed. She placed a butterfly kiss on her forehead, as she did so, she heard Santana give a little sigh of contentment. Quinn turned off the lamp and walked towards the door, giving one more look at the sleeping girl her bed. Santana was a devil, but when she slept she looked like an angel.

"I love you, Quinnie," Santana mumbled sleepily.

Quinn smiled and replied: "I love you too, Santana. Good night." She cracked the door a little and made her way back downstairs to clean up the mess that was made. Quinn went back into the den and settled down on the couch and flipped to MTV, she was close to falling asleep when she heard a scream and Santana calling her name.

"Quinnie, Quinnie, help me, help me!" Santana screamed into the dark room.

She could hear the terror in Santana's voice. Quinn ran up the stairs taking two at a time until she reached Santana's room. She opened the door and saw Santana sitting up with her knees to her chest. The little girl was visibly shaken; Quinn made her way to the bed and gathered the scared child in her arms trying to soothe her.

"It's okay Santana, I'm here, I'm here. Did you have a dream?" She whispered softly into the little girl's hair.

Santana held on to Quinn for dear life, like she was going to lose her, "T-the monsters were going to try and eat me. They wanted to take me away from mami and papi. Please don't let them take me away Quinnie. Please?" The little girl pleaded softly.

Quinn kissed the top of Santana's head and held her close. "No monsters are going to take you away, not if I have something to do with it. Your mommy and daddy will fight those monsters because you're their princess." She tried her best to reassure the girl, her heart broke because she could hear how scared she was.

Santana visibly calmed. "C-can you stay in here with me? I don't want to be by myself." A small sniffle followed.

Quinn smiled. "I will stay with you until you fall asleep. Now get some sleep, or your parents won't let me watch you anymore," she told her gently.

Santana didn't have to be told twice. She snuggled up closer to Quinn and drifted off to sleep. There weren't any more monsters in her dream because Quinn was there to take them away. Sleep overcame the teenager as well and she fell asleep, never letting go of the girl next to her.

When the Lopez's came home, they found Quinn and Santana curled up in the bed together. They didn't have the heart to wake them up, so Mirabel put a blanket over Quinn and tip toed out of the room. He followed behind her, but not before he took a picture of the two girls sleeping together, he was going to send a copy of it to Judy. They had to admit that having Quinn as a baby sitter had been a God send, it seemed that no one had been able to tame their wild child. She was just what they all needed.


	3. Breakfast With Santana

Quinn woke up to the sun shining bright through the window, she was aware of two things, she wasn't in her own bed and Santana was missing. She rubbed her eyes trying to clear her cloudy vision; she didn't mean to fall asleep in the girl's bed, but I guess she couldn't help herself. Quinn pulled the covers off and stood up to stretch, it felt good, there was a clock on Santana's nightstand that read 7:30. Quinn dashed out of Santana's room and into the guest bathroom where she kept her toiletries in case she stayed the night. Sue had mandatory practice on Saturday's at nine; if you're late she will have you run laps until you puke or pass out. Once she was presentable she made her way downstairs where she could hear Santana talk about their night. Quinn walked into the kitchen to see the table laid out with different dishes for breakfast. One thing she could say is that at the Lopez house they fix a lot of food for an army, but they always send you home with something. Quinn took in the scene in front of her Santana trying to pour juice into the glasses, only to stop when she was spotted.

"Quinnie! You're up!" She squealed and hugged Quinn around the waist, "I was waiting for you to wake up. Thank you for staying with me last night." Santana let go of Quinn and led her to the table.

"Good morning Quinn. How did you sleep?" Mirabel asked the girl that she considered a second daughter to her. She also knew that Santana was a very wild sleeper, the little girl could end up falling asleep one way, but somehow she ends up in all different positions.

Quinn sat down at the table next to, "I slept like a baby, even though I had no intentions of falling asleep in the bed with Santana." She answered; she was surprised that Santana wasn't all over the bed or her.

Xavier chuckled, "That's usually how it is. Sometimes it's a lot easier sleeping in her bed, than having her wake up in the middle of the night and get in the bed with you." He teased his daughter who was completely oblivious, since she was stuffing her face full of pancakes and bacon.

Quinn put some food on her plate and began eating, she loved eating with the family of three, and it was always entertaining and full of laughter. Something that was different from her house, with her mom working a lot it's usually just her, and occasionally she would go over to her dad's house and have a so called family dinner with him and his new wife and her two kids. She had to put on a facade like she was flawless.

"Do you have any plans for the day?" Maribel asked Quinn between bites of food. She knew that Quinn's home life was kind of lonely with Judy working, and her father no longer being there with them. Judy was very appreciative that they gave Quinn something to do in her spare time, and they were happy just to have her. She could tame the wild child that is Santana.

Quinn took a sip of her juice before answering, "I have cheer practice today and then I'm hanging out with Amber and a few other girls."

Santana perked up at what Quinn said, she likes going to cheer practice with Quinn. Even though the coach is crazy, they still let her workout with them and practice with the team. Coach Sue told her that she would be their junior Cheerio, kind of like their mascot, but she hadn't had the chance to participate in a football game yet.

"Can I go to cheer practice with Quinnie this morning? I will be extra good today." Santana asked excitedly.

Xavier shook his head, "You can't go to practice with Quinn today, remember you have a play date with Mercedes, Kurt and Rachel." He reminded his daughter.

Santana scoffed, "I can play with them another time. I really want to go with Quinnie to practice, it's so much fun." She gave her parents the puppy dog eyes, hoping that it would work like it usually does.

"The answer is no Santana. You can go another time, besides Quinn is going out with her friends after. I think your friends will be disappointed if you miss out on your play date, I know you look forward to them." Mirabel tried to reason with her daughter, but it was a losing battle.

"Santana, you can come to the next practice, we love having you there. Today will be Sue yelling at us and having us run laps, we aren't working on any cheers, besides I think you would have a lot of fun with Mercedes, Kurt and Rachel. You wouldn't want to disappoint them do you?" Quinn tried to reason with the girl.

Santana shook her head, "No, I don't want to disappoint them, but can we all come with you today? We'll be good I promise." She tried to reason with Quinn as well as her parents.

Quinn knew she had to stand firm even if it meant making Santana mad. Her heart broke for the girl sitting beside her, but she knew that she needed to be around her friends. "Not this time Santana, but I will tell you what, if your friends are still here after I come back I will hang out with all of you."

Santana thought about Quinn's offer for a little bit, much to her parents delight. They sent a silent thanks to the teenager; she prevented a full blown melt down which would have resulted in Santana being sent to her room.

"Fine." Santana replied dejectedly, she really wanted to spend time with Quinn and her friends, they were so cool. Plus it would give her time with Quinn even if Kurt and Mercedes would be there.

Breakfast went off without any major meltdowns from Santana, which was a real blessing considering how the little girl could act like a brat when she wanted to. Quinn helped clean up the kitchen and said her good-byes to everyone as she left the house to get ready for cheer practice. She tried to ignore the disappointed look on Santana's face as she left. She knew Santana wasn't happy at all, but she also knew that Santana would have to learn that she can't always get what she wants.

Santana watched as Quinn left the house, she tried to be a big girl, but it was kind of hard especially since the person she loved more than ice cream had left her. She really hoped that Quinn would come back after she finished hanging with her friends, but she hoped Kurt, Mercedes, and Rachel would be gone. When it came to Quinn Santana didn't want to share at all.

"Come on Santana, it's time for you to get ready, your friends will be here in a few minutes. Besides your father and I are taking you guys somewhere special today." Mirabel coaxed her daughter from the window.

"Where are you going to take us? Are we going to the zoo?" Santana perked up, all thoughts of Quinn leaving had gone out the window.

Mirabel smiled, "It's a surprise, now if you don't get upstairs and get dressed then you won't be able to go. I will just take your friends." She gave her daughter a playful swat on the bottom.

Santana didn't have to be told twice before she ran upstairs to get ready for her play date. She wanted to look nice for wherever her parents were taking her and her friends. The thought of Rachel Berry coming along couldn't ruin her mood. She quickly got dressed did her hair and made sure her teeth was brushed and her face washed. Santana made it downstairs in time to hear the doorbell ring and saw Rachel and her fathers standing at the door. She just hoped that Quinn would come over after she finishes hanging with her friends, only Quinn could probably keep her from killing Rachel.


	4. Santana's First Heartbreak

Santana was five days shy of her ninth birthday when she experienced her first heartbreak. Santana and her father were getting ready to go to the McKinley homecoming game. Xavier was into football, but not Santana she just wanted to see her Quinn cheer. It was because of Quinn that Santana had her mind set on becoming a Cheerio when she entered high school. She looked herself over in the mirror admiring her outfit, a pair of dark blue jeans, a white sweater, with a pair of blue and white Nikes; she wanted to make sure she looked her best for Quinn as well as the other cheerleaders. Xavier knocked on the door and entered Santana's room and tried not to laugh as he saw his little girl preening in the mirror.

"You ready to go baby girl? I want to make sure that we have good seats." Xavier's voice floated through the room startling Santana. She had no idea that her father had entered her room, he should have made noise.

Santana turned around and gave her dad a little smile, "How do I look daddy? Do you think Quinn will like my outfit?" She modeled for her outfit for her father; she had to make sure he approved of what she had on. Santana knew her father was easy to please; it was her mother she had to get approval from.

Xavier watched as his daughter modeled and gave her a bright smile, "You look good mija. I'm sure Quinn will love your outfit. Now let's get ready to go, we don't want to be late." He reached for Santana's hand, which she gladly accepted and started pulling him down the stairs and towards the door.

"Slow down you're going to pull my arm out of the socket", he scolded her lightly. Xavier knew that his daughter was strong, but he didn't realize how strong she really was. He also knew that Santana didn't care less about football, but she wanted to go to the games because of Quinn.

Santana came to a stop at the bottom of the stairs, "Sorry daddy, I just really want to go so I can see Quinn before the game. I want to wish her good luck." She gave her dad a sheepish smile, trying not to bounce from one foot to the other.

Xavier opened the hall closet and pulled out two coats, one for him and one for Santana, "What's with all the excitement? I'm sure we will have plenty of time to see Quinn before the game, and I am sure, that you will see her after the game too." He reminded his daughter as he put on his coat.

Santana pulled her jacket on and smoothed her dark hair out. "Daddy, I told you Quinn's awesome, she's smart and beautiful. Not only that, she is on the Cheerios! Do you know that it takes a special person to be on that squad? I hope I get to be on the team one day."

Xavier couldn't help but smile at his daughter; they knew they made the right decision hiring Quinn as their baby sitter. Santana was right, Quinn is responsible, smart, driven, and she is an all-around positive influence on Santana.

Mirabel entered the hallway from the kitchen, to see her husband and daughter off. She wasn't really into football, so she let Santana and Xavier have that moment together. He was so busy with work that sometimes he didn't have the chance to spend time with her.

"Someone has been listening to a certain baby sitter," Natalia teased her daughter, causing Santana to blush.

"I'm supposed to, aren't I?" Santana replied, giving her mother a cheeky smile, "Now come on, I don't want to be late." Santana opened the door and ran out to the car.

"I better not keep her waiting. We'll see you when we get back." Xavier kissed his wife.

"Please make sure she does not hear anymore bad words, it took a while to break her habit of using the word 'fuck'," she reminded him.

Xavier laughed. "I will try, but you know how passionate some people are about football." He turned and walked out the door where he was met with a very furious child.

He opened the door for Santana and waited for her to buckle up her seat belt before getting in himself. They didn't exchange any words when he started the SUV and made the trek to McKinley High. The ride to the school was quiet except for light jazz that was playing in the background. Santana couldn't help but hum along to the soothing sounds. Xavier pulled the SUV into the parking lot and turned it off. Santana unbuckled her seat belt with lightening speed. She was getting ready to see her Quinn. As soon as they got out the car Santana spotted Quinn talking to a football player. They were awfully close and he had his hand around her waist. She turned to her dad and pointed in Quinn's direction. He just nodded and she took off running with him not being too far behind.

Santana ran as fast as her little legs could take her. "Quinnie!" She yelled in excitement. This caused Quinn to turn around and push the blonde boy away from her. Santana couldn't help but smile.

"Hey munchkin! How's my favorite girl?" She greeted Santana while giving her a big hug.

Santana felt the butterflies in her stomach as she heard 'favorite girl'. "I'm good! I missed you though," she told her sweetly.

Quinn blushed. "You saw me yesterday," the cheerleader reminded her.

"That's still too long ago," Santana replied looking at the blonde boy with fish lips standing next to her Quinn. "Who is that?" Santana pointed to the boy.

Quinn turned and looked at him motioning him to come closer. "This is my friend Sam. He plays quarterback for the team," she explained.

Santana eyed him up and down disapprovingly. Sam bent down to Santana's height and looked at her. "You must be the infamous Santana that Quinn keeps going on about. I thought you were a baby, but looking at you I know you are a beautiful girl," he told her.

She crossed her arms and looked at Quinn, then at her father who was silently urging her to say something. "Thank you," Santana said a little too sweetly. "I know all of Quinn's friends, but she has never mentioned you before," she told him bluntly.

Sam chuckled a little bit. "Well, that's because I am new here and I'm just starting to get to know her." He answered nicely.

Santana rolled her eyes and let out a small breath. "She is _my_ Quinnie, don't get in the way," she told him making sure to put the emphasis on _my_.

Xavier and Quinn were getting a little uncomfortable at the exchange. They knew that Santana could be possessive, but not like this. He father decided to step in before anything else could be said.

"Santana, why don't we go and find good seats, before they are all taken. I'm sure you want to watch the cheerleaders perform," he reminded his daughter.

Quinn smiled, "We have something special prepared tonight, you're my V.I.P. for the night." She tapped Santana's nose lightly.

Santana blushed and bit her lip before replying, "Okay. Come on, daddy, let's go. I'll see you in a little bit, Quinn." She turned to walk with her father.

Sam called Santana causing her to turn around. "It was nice meeting you Santana, hopefully we will see more of each other," he told her.

Santana smirked. "I'm sure you will, Trouty Mouth." With that, she flicked her hair over her shoulder and continued walking with her father, who gave her a strong scolding.

Sam turned back to Quinn. "So that is Santana? For a little girl she sure is scary," he laughed.

Quinn laughed lightly. "You just have to get to know her, she is a real sweetheart." She kissed his cheek.

Sam blushed, "I don't know, especially since you are _her_ Quinn," he reminded her. "Come on; let's go to the field before Coach wonders where we are." He reached for Quinn's hand and led her from the parking lot to the field.

Santana and her father sat on the bleachers close to where the cheerleaders were. She waved at a couple of them and they waved back at her. The girls on the squad knew who Santana was because of the times Quinn would bring her to practice with her when Santana's parents were working. She became a mini honorable Cheerio. Santana would stretch and practice cheers with them. Amber, the co-captain, always told the girl she has what it takes to be a cheerleader.

Xavier watched as his daughter interacted with a few of the girls on the squad, he chuckled and shook his head. The game started but Santana couldn't keep her eyes off of Quinn, the way her ponytail bounced up and down as she jumped and moved a certain way. She was quite mesmerized by what she saw; there was no other girl as pretty as Quinn. The whistle blew marking the end of the first quarter and Amber made her way over to Santana and her father. After Amber had talked to her father she reached her hand out for Santana.

"Come on, kiddo! You are about to make your Cheerio debut," Amber said cheerily.

Santana's eyes went wide. "No way! No way!" She looked over at her father.

He just nodded. "Go on, baby girl, its okay."

Santana let out a squeal of delight and grabbed Amber's hand. She followed her out of the stand. Santana made her way into the Cheerios locker room where she came face to face with one Sue Sylvester. She held on to Amber's hand for dear life, the lady scared her and gave her nightmares for days.

Sue looked at her and smirked. "So you think you have what it takes to be a junior Cheerio? Not everyone is Cheerio material, but Quinn says that you are good. I tend to agree with her, you will make an excellent addition to the team, when you get older. Go get the uniform and don't disappoint." She blew her whistle, causing everyone to flinch.

Santana let out a sigh of relief. "She is scary. Like Cruella DeVille scary."

Amber just chuckled.

Quinn came over and took over for Amber. She helped Santana get ready in her mini Cheerios uniform. Once she was dressed and her hair was in the required pony tail, she turned around and looked at Quinn.

"What do you think? Do I make this look good?" she asked shyly.

Quinn looked down at her and grinned. "You never looked better," she gave her a kiss on the cheek.

This little gesture caused Santana's heart to beat three times as fast, it was the best feeling in the world for her nine year old self. Little did she know that heartbreak would follow shortly.

They exited the locker room and made their way out to the sidelines. Santana felt a little out of place because she was so short and everyone else was so tall. She looked over to the stands to where her father was sitting. He gave her a big smile and a wave. Santana waved back at him and turned around looking at the field. It was time for them to perform and she was nervous, her stomach felt like she was about throw up. Quinn squeezed her hand and gave her a smile, which made Santana feel better.

They started cheering and got into formation when the dance routine started. The smallest Cheerio was dancing in the front line along with them causing a chorus of awes in the stands. They finished the routine with a basic pyramid stunt with Santana in the front posing. The crowd went wild and Santana was swept up in a series of hugs.

They left the field and she stood on the sidelines. Her father took out his camera and took a picture of Quinn and his daughter together.

Santana was sitting on Quinn's lap with her head resting on her shoulder and Quinn had her arms around the girl's waist. It was the best feeling in the world.

The game was over and McKinley won. The football players and cheerleaders celebrated and cheered. She wanted to hug Quinn, but she saw her locking lips with Trouty Mouth. Santana felt a pain in her chest and her eyes starting to water; Quinn, _her_ Quinn was kissing someone else. Her dad came up behind her and told her it was time for them to go. After what seemed like an eternity Quinn made her way over to the little family and she tried to hug Santana, but Santana pulled away and turned to her dad.

"Daddy, I want to go home now!" she said in a small voice.

He picked her up and looked at her in concern. "What's the matter princess?" he asked, concerned.

Santana didn't say anything except for: "I want to go home, please, daddy." she said into his jacket.

Quinn was confused – she was having fun less than ten minutes ago. "I'll bring her clothes by tomorrow."

Xavier smiled at Quinn. "That's fine, good game tonight and thank you for doing this for Santana. I'm sure she will never forget it." He placed a kiss on her forehead.

Quinn touched Santana's leg softly. "Hey munchkin, I'll see you tomorrow okay? We're going to the fair remember?"

Santana didn't say anything. She kept her face buried in her father's coat. They exchanged goodbyes. Xavier carried his daughter to the SUV and buckled her in. She didn't say a word; her face was a mask of sadness. Without any words he closed the door, got in the driver's seat and started the car. The drive back to the house was silent but he could hear a couple of sniffles coming from his daughter in the back. The duo made their way back to the house where they were greeted by her mother. She greeted her daughter, but Santana just went upstairs to her room closing the door behind her.

She didn't understand why Quinn was kissing that boy, it was gross and boys have cooties. She undressed out of her uniform and put her pajamas on. Santana sat at her vanity and took her hair down from the tight pony tail, combing her hair out like she normally did before she went to bed. She sat down on the built in seat that was in front of her window. She looked across the street at Quinn's house where she saw her and Trouty Mouth talking. With a sigh she climbed on her bed and cried, her heart breaking because Quinn didn't love her the way that she loved Quinn.


	5. Santana and Quinn's Day Out

The Saturday morning sun was shining through the windows, causing Santana to stir. She really didn't feel like getting up, but she was spending the day with Quinn, they were doing to hang out and then go to the fair. Usually she was excited to spend time with Quinn, but at this moment, she wasn't so excited. Maybe it had to do with the fact that her Quinn kissed that boy with the lips. Santana did not like him one bit, but she needed to find a way to get rid of him, that way Quinn would be all hers again. She got out of bed and started to make it up, a knock on the door startled her, but she smiled when she saw her dad's head peep though.

"Boo!" He yelled out causing his little girl to jump back. He opened up the door completely and walked in. Santana threw a pillow at her father, "Daddy!" She squealed, "Don't do that. You could have given me a heart attack." She told him in a serious tone.

Xavier picked up the pillow and made his way over to Santana. "Well, baby girl, I was under orders from your mother, to see if you're awake. You know since Quinn will be here in a little bit to pick you up." He reminded her, as he placed the pillow on her bed.

Santana smiled, "I know daddy. I can't wait!" She said enthusiastically, a quick change from a little while ago. Her father smiled at her, "Yep, so that means you need to get dressed and meet your mom and I downstairs for breakfast, mommy made your favorite."

"French toast, bacon and hash browns?" Santana asked, hopping from foot to foot. She loved her food especially French toast and bacon.

Her father nodded, "That would be correct, she saw how sad you were when you came home last night. So she decided to fix your favorite breakfast to try and cheer you up. Also, you can tell her about your experience last night. You can tell it better than I ever could." He tapped her on the nose lightly, before kissing her forehead.

Santana blushed, "Let me get dressed and I will be down there in a flash! Don't start eating without me." She watched as her father left the room before finishing making up her bed and getting her clothes out for the day. Santana walked over to her massive walk in closet and started looking for outfits.

It was fall so she had to dress for the weather. She looked through every piece of clothing in her closet until she came across her favorite outfit – a pair of denim overalls and her "Girl Power" shirt. Santana turned off the light and exited the closet, laying her clothes out on the bed. She walked over to her shoe hanger on the back of her bedroom door and picked out a pair of black Reebok Classics. Santana went about her morning routine and made her way downstairs to have breakfast with her parents.

Santana made her way to the table where her parents were already seated, and sat down, in the chair closest to her mother.

"Look who decides to bless us with her presence," Mirabel teased her daughter.

The little girl gave her mother an incredulous look, "I have to look good don't I?" She replied, with a little sass in her voice, before digging into the food that was before her.

Mirabel just shook her head, she was all too aware when it comes to Santana and her sass, normally she would get on her about it, but she would let it slide this time. "Tell me about last night? How did it go?" Mirabel asked her daughter as she sipped her coffee. She didn't get a chance to ask her daughter last night.

Santana swallowed the little bit of food that was in her mouth. "It was great! I got to dance and cheer with Quinn and the Cheerios. It was scary and exciting all at the same time, the butterflies in my stomach were all over the place. It was fun, though," she trailed off lightly.

Mirabel couldn't help but smile at her daughter's happiness, "I bet Quinn was happy to have you out there. I'm sure she thought you looked adorable in your uniform."

Santana didn't say anything, she just continued eating as her parents were chatting about their day and plans for today. She was glad that her mom didn't say anything more about Quinn. Hopefully today would be a lot better than yesterday. They finished breakfast and Xavier kissed his two girls before heading off to the hospital for his morning rounds, leaving Santana alone with her mother.

Now that they were alone Mirabel decided to use this time to find out what was wrong with her daughter. She was a little confused as to why she left the house happy, only to come back sad. "Santana? What was wrong last night when you came home?" Mirabel asked her daughter as she cleaned up the breakfast dishes.

Santana sighed softly. "I saw Quinn kissing a boy yesterday with a gigantic mouth. It looked like he was trying to suck her face off," she replied. "He is not supposed to get her kisses they are for me," Santana pouted. She really did not like sharing Quinn's kisses with anyone, if it was up to her, Quinn would only kiss her.

Mirabel looked at her daughter sympathetically. "Quinn is a big girl and she has a boyfriend. When you get older you will have one too. You can't keep Quinn to yourself, you have to share her," she explained in a way that she hoped her daughter could understand. She was all too aware of how possessive her little girl was when it came to Quinn.

"Boys are gross and they have cooties, I'm not ever kissing boys," Santana protested, making a face. "Besides, they aren't Quinn," she added.

Mirabel was about to say something but was interrupted by the doorbell. Santana got up from the table and made a beeline towards the door, her mom not too far behind her. Santana opened the door and there was Quinn, standing there in a pair of jeans, a white long sleeved shirt and a small jacket on top. Santana thought she looked very pretty. In her hand, she was holding a bag with Santana's clothes in it. Her dad must have forgotten about them last night, she didn't care and ran into Quinn's arms, hugging her for dear life.

"Hi, Quinn, it's good to see you," Mirabel greeted the teenager. "Santana let Quinn go so she can at least come inside for a little bit," she scolded her daughter lightly.

"Hi, mom. It's okay, I missed my Santana hugs since I didn't get one last night." She looked down. Santana broke the hug and stepped back, allowing Quinn entrance into the house. The butterflies were fluttering around in her stomach again. She listened as her mom and Quinn were talking about their plans for the day and the game last night. Finally, after what seemed like a century in Santana time, Quinn addressed her, "Hey, munchkin."

Santana smiled shyly. "Hi, Quinnie." The butterflies increased tenfold, it was something about her hazel eyes. Quinn smiled. "Are you ready for a day of fun and excitement?" she really hoped that Santana was in a much better mood than last night.

Santana nodded happily. "I get to spend my Saturday with you." Santana replied, her eyes full of mischief.

Mirabel just shook her head. "Santana, go upstairs and get your coat and your scarf, it's going to be cold later on today. I don't want you to catch a cold," she reminded her daughter. "Okay," Santana answered. She took off, running upstairs to get everything she needed. "No running up the stairs." She called after her child.

"Here are Santana's clothes from last night. She left them in the locker room." Quinn handed the bag over to the woman that she considered as a second mother to her.

Mirabel took the bag and put it next to a table that was in the front entryway. "That's very sweet of you, Quinn. I want to thank you for allowing Santana to cheer with the squad last night. You don't know how much it means to her - she would always go on and on about practicing with you guys."

Quinn smiled. "I love taking her with me and the girls love having her there. Coach Sylvester likes having her there too, even if she won't admit it. I think she will have what it takes to be a Cheerio when she gets into high school," Quinn replied.

"Xavier told me that there is a new guy in your life, what's his name?" Mirabel asked teasingly.

Quinn blushed, "His name is Sam and he is the quarterback for the football team. He is cute, but kind of a dork as well; he is a good guy, though. Santana didn't take too much of a liking to him," Quinn answered. Actually, Santana didn't like any guys she went out with.

Mirabel couldn't help but laugh. "Hasn't Santana always been like that? She's never liked any of your boyfriends. I have a gut feeling that Santana might have a little crush on you." She whispered as if it was a secret.

Quinn laughed. "Does she now?" She was a little surprised about Santana possibly having a crush on her.

Mirabel smiled, trying not to laugh at how oblivious Quinn was in regards to, Santana having a crush on her. "Yes, I'm surprised you haven't picked up on it, she's not very subtle about it." She decided to change the subject as she heard her daughter coming down the stairs. "What do you have planned for the day?"

"Well, I plan on taking Santana to the mall, possibly the movies, we're going to get some lunch, and then off to the fair we go." She answered, but she knew with Santana plans may change.

Mirabel just shook her head. "You are going to spoil that little girl rotten. I don't know what I'm going to do when you graduate and go off to college next year."

Quinn wanted to answer, but Santana had already made her appearance (her timing was impeccable). She saw that the little girl already had her scarf and coat on, Santana was ready to go.

"I'm ready now." She hopped off the last step. Quinn and Natalia laughed together. This caused Santana to look between the both of them in confusion. She wanted to know why they were laughing. "What's so funny?" she asked, scowling.

"Nothing," Mirabel smiled. "But don't let me hold the two of you up, go on so you can spend the day together," she said, nearly pushing them out of the door, but then she stopped. "Santana aren't you forgetting something?" She asked her daughter.

Santana thought for a minute, "I have my coat and scarf, and Quinn. I have everything I need." She answered with a smile.

"Where are my hugs and kisses little lady?" Mirabel asked her daughter; before anyone of them left the house they would always get a hug and kiss, because you never know if that's the last time you will see them again.

"Sorry mami, I forgot." She ran over to her mom and gave her a big hug and lots of kisses. She couldn't believe she forgot Lopez rule number one.

Quinn watched the scene unfold in front of her; she was quite surprised at how affectionate and loving the little family was. She didn't have that a lot with her parents when she was growing up, her father had a thing for appearances, and being drunk.

Mirabel looked at Quinn after she let Santana go, "Don't think you will get off that easy either. You know the rules too, get over here."

Quinn walked over to the older Lopez and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Once all the mushiness was over Quinn and Santana exchanged "I love you's" with her mom and made their way out to the car. That is one thing that Quinn's dad got right, giving her a car for her birthday, it saved a lot of trouble of taking her moms. Quinn opened the door for Santana and made sure she was buckled up, before closing the door, she didn't want to get a ticket and most importantly she didn't want anything to happen to Santana. Quinn made her way over to her side of the car and got in, making sure to put on her seatbelt, before starting the car.

"Ready to have some fun?" she asked the girl through her rear view mirror.

Santana gave her a huge smile. "Of course I am." She was happy because it was just her and Quinn, she didn't have to worry about any boys getting in her way. They made their way to the mall. The conversation was light. They sung along to songs on the radio and shared jokes. These were the moments that Santana loved. All thoughts of trouty mouth were out of her head, she was happy again. Santana had her Quinn back; at least that is what she thought.

"We're here," Quinn announced as she pulled into the parking lot of the mall. She turned the car off and got out opening Santana's door. Santana unbuckled her seat belt and hopped out of the car, grabbing Quinn's hand. Quinn closed the door, locked the car and led them across the mall's parking lot.

"What movie do you want to see today?" Quinn asked, looking down at Santana. Today was all about her and she wanted to make sure that the little girl she held so dear had fun.

Santana smiled and shrugged. "I don't know a movie that doesn't have talking animals, or Prince Charming. Those are so yesterday," she replied. She had enough Disney movies, and movies with talking animals to last her a lifetime.

Quinn laughed. "Okay, no Prince Charming or talking animals – check." They continued walking through the mall. Quinn stopped when she heard her name being called. They both turned around and saw Amber walking towards them. She had Rachel with her, and she heard Santana let out a groan of frustration. She never understood why Santana disliked the girl so much.

"Hey Quinn, hi Santana." Amber greeted them cheerfully.

Santana smiled; she really liked Amber. "Hi, Amber. Hi Rachel" she replied, wasting no time.

"Hi Tana, I didn't know that you and Quinn were going to be here today." Rachel answered in her usual long winded way. Santana never understood why Rachel talked the way that she did, it was quite annoying.

"Today is my special day with Quinn, and we do whatever I want, as long as it's in reason. What are you doing here with Amber?" She asked.

Rachel beamed, "Today is my special day with Amber too. My dad's had wanted to set up another play date with you, but your mommy said you had plans for the day, so Amber decided to take me out." She answered sweetly.

Santana looked over and saw that Amber and Quinn were in a conversation of their own. She was curious as to what they were talking about, anything was better than having to talk to Rachel.

"How do you know Amber?" Santana asked her annoying little counterpart.

"Amber is my cousin on my daddy's side, she is really nice, and takes me places. I'm like a little sister to her since she is the only child, like me."

Santana had to resist the urge to roll her eyes, there was nothing wrong with being the only child, and you get all the attention and spoiled. You didn't have to share your toys or get picked on by a brother or a sister. Being and only child was awesome. The little girl couldn't hide her delight once Amber and Quinn had finished talking and said their good-byes; they were taking her time away with Quinn.

Quinn held out her hand for Santana to take, "Ready to go munchkin?" She asked as the girl took her hand.

"Yes, I've been ready to go." She replied as she put her hand in Quinn's and started walking. Santana held onto Quinn's hand tightly, there were a lot of people in the mall, and she didn't want to get lost. Santana didn't mind that Quinn was squeezing her hand tightly; it gave her a reason to touch Quinn. They stopped in front of the theater and looked at the movies that were playing. Santana didn't see anything that caught her attention and neither did Quinn, so they opted to walk through the mall and window shop.

"Quinnie?" Santana asked as they walked past the Build-A-Bear Workshop. She wanted to ask her about Sam.

"What is it, munchkin?" Quinn answered. She could hear a little bit of sadness in her voice and it concerned her a little bit.

Santana stopped and looked at her. "Why were you and fis-Sam kissing?" she asked.

Quinn spotted a bench and led Santana to it, she knew this question was going to pop up, she just hadn't known when. Santana sat down first and then Quinn sat down next to her, still holding her hand. "It's what two people do when they like each other. Sam is my boyfriend and that's what boyfriends and girlfriends do, when they are older of course," she replied. She didn't want to give Santana the idea that is was alright to go around and kiss boys.

Santana looked at her. "Do you love him?" It was a simple question that she wanted to know the answer to. She sees her mom and dad kiss each other all the time, they say it's because they love each other so much.

Quinn tried not to smile. "I don't know, Santana. It's too soon to say whether I love him or not, we just started dating, but maybe in time I will." She was wondering where all of this was coming from. Santana was never like this before; at least, she didn't think she was.

Santana smiled. "So you don't love him more than me?" she asked hopefully.

Quinn shook her head. "No, I don't love him more than you. You're my number one girl and always will be. No one will take your place," she told her honestly. Santana hugged Quinn. "I'm glad because I love you too! Now I'm hungry, can we go get something to eat?" Santana asked.

Quinn poked Santana in the side causing the girl to laugh. "Yes, we can go get some lunch. What do you think about having pizza? I know it's someone's favorite."

Santana let go of Quinn and jumped up. "I like pizza," she said happily. Quinn got up and she and Santana began their trek to the little pizza place that was in the mall. For Santana, this was turning out to be the best day ever.


	6. Santana and Quinn at the Fair

A pizza, a couple of outfits and a Build-A-Bear later, the two girls had left the mall and were on their way to the fair. Santana was giddy with excitement; not only was she going to the fair, but she was going with Quinn. In her mind, she was going over all the rides that they could ride together and how much fun they could have. The car ride wasn't that long and before Santana knew what was going on, they were in the fairground parking lot. She was so excited, but remembered that she couldn't get out because Quinn had locked her in. Quinn took pity on the little girl and let her out of the car. Santana hopped out of the car and immediately reached for her caretaker's soft hand.

"Ready to go, munchkin?" Quinn asked, looking at the girl. Santana smiled. "Yes! I want to ride the rides and play games and stuff," Santana answered. "Wait, my coat," she reminded Quinn. Quinn unlocked the door and Santana reached in the back grabbing her coat. It was getting colder and the last thing she wanted was to be ill. Quinn popped the trunk open and pulled out her coat as well, put it on and locked her car. She took Santana's hand and they walked to the entrance of the fair. Quinn paid the entry fee and led Santana into the fairgrounds. They stopped as Santana took in the sight of everything. She was literally in heaven, a very, very fun heaven. The smell of cotton candy, and different confections assaulted her senses, she regrets having that pizza, well almost.

"What do you want to do first? Do you want to walk around to see what rides they have?" Quinn asked her. Santana smiled she didn't care what they did as long as she was with Quinn, "We can walk around and see what rides they have. I might not be tall enough to ride most of them, though," she replied.

Quinn gave her a warm smile. "We will make the most of it. Now, let's go before it gets too crowded over here." They walked away from the entrance and walked down the midway, where they had all the games and stuff. The guys kept yelling, trying to get people to come over and play the games so they could win their prizes. From the midway, they made their way over to where all the rides were. Santana had a hard time deciding what she wanted to ride on.

"Oh, I want to get on the Spider!" Santana shouted, pointing at the black ride that looked like a spider. Quinn quirked her eyebrow. "Are you sure you want to get on that, munchkin? It looks like it goes high," she asked.

Santana nodded. "I went on it with my daddy when we went to the state fair, it was so much fun. Please, Quinnie, can we?" she pouted. No one can say know to the Santana pout, it got her out of trouble, and gets her whatever she wants.

Quinn couldn't resist the Santana Lopez pout; it was effective and just too cute. She didn't resist and they made their way over to the ride. The guy greeted them and allowed them entrance.

Quinn got in first, followed by Santana. They were locked in and moved to allow other people to get on. The ride was fully loaded, and it began moving, slowly at first but then it went higher and faster. Santana was squealing with delight and Quinn was laughing and squealing as the ride went around and around. It was actually fun, but she could do without being pressed into the hinges of the ride door.

After what seemed like forever, the ride finally stopped, allowing them to get off. Quinn was a little dizzy, but Santana wasn't bothered by anything. it began moving, slowly at first but then it went higher and faster. Santana was squealing with delight and Quinn was laughing and squealing as the ride went around and around. It was actually fun, but she could do without being pressed into the hinges of the ride door. After what seemed like forever, the ride finally stopped, allowing them to get off. Quinn was a little dizzy, but Santana wasn't bothered by anything.

Santana was bursting at the seams with energy, "That was so much fun, Quinn. Wasn't it?" Santana asked as they exited the ride. Quinn nodded. "It sure was munchkin. What do you want to get on next?" She asked, hoping that Santana wanted to get on a ride, that wasn't so fast moving.

Santana looked thoughtful, "I don't know Quinnie, maybe if we walk around some more it will come to mind." She wasn't watching where she was going and bumped into the back of an unknown person. "Oops, excuse me mister." She said sweetly as the guy turned around.

"It's alright, Santana," he told her and then his eyes traveled to his girlfriend. "Hey, Quinn didn't expect to see you here." Santana's smile faded, the last thing she wanted to do was see guppy lips here.

Quinn smiled. "I told you I was going to be bringing Santana here today." Santana did not like this one bit; her heart sank down to her stomach. This was supposed to be her day with Quinn, but that boy had to ruin it.

Sam was a little flustered, "Oh, I know, I just didn't think I was going to run into you here at this ride or anywhere for that matter," he explained. Quinn nodded. "I get what you mean. Are you here with anyone?" she asked casually.

Sam looked from Quinn to Santana and back to Quinn. "I'm here with my parents and my little brother and sister. Doing the whole family thing," he answered. Santana rolled her eyes and looked up at Quinn in annoyance, but Quinn was too busy making goo goo eyes at Sam. This made her sad; she was supposed to have all of her attention.

"Why don't you hang out with me and munchkin here for a little bit, you know, to give you a break from the family bonding," Quinn suggested. Santana's mood did a complete change and she started crying heavily. This broke Quinn and Sam out of their moment. Quinn knelt down to Santana's level and gave her a hug, "Hey, munchkin, what's wrong?" She asked clearly concerned, she didn't understand how Santana could go from being happy to sad, in five minutes.

"This is our time together!" Santana sobbed. "You're my Quinnie! He's ruining everything, why does he have to be here?" She managed to get out between sobs. Quinn rubbed Santana's back. "Santana, we are still having our time together, but this also gives you a chance to get to know him as well. To see how nice he really is," she tried to reason. Santana didn't reply. She was still softly sobbing in Quinn's neck as the older girl tried to calm her down with soothing words.

Sam was at a loss for words, he didn't know that being around Quinn, would make Santana so unhappy. The last thing he wanted to do was make the little girl cry and ruin their time together. "Santana is right; I shouldn't break up your girl time. We can hang out again some other time," Sam conceded.

Santana tried her best to contain her smile of victory she won this round. She let go of Quinn and saw the look of disappointment on her baby sitter's face. This was enough to give her a change of her, but it also gave her a chance to formulate a plan to make him go away for good.

She wiped the tears from her face and gave Sam a teary smile, "I'm sorry Sam you can hang out with me and Quinnie." She said a little too sweetly for Quinn's taste.

Quinn recognized that voice and excused her and Santana, taking her to the side while Sam went to go tell his parents what he was up to. Quinn knelt down in front of Santana and looked at her. This caused Santana to look away. "I know you Santana, no funny business. Sam is my boyfriend and I would like for you to be nice to him." She explained to her.

Santana gave a little smirk. "I'm not doing anything, Quinnie. I want to get to know Sam, even if he is a yucky boy." She wrinkled her nose up in disgust. Quinn laughed, "When you get older, boys won't seem so yucky. You'll see." She stood up when she saw Sam approaching them.

"My parents said it was alright. So what do you ladies want to do?" he asked holding his hand out for Santana to take. Santana reluctantly took his hand which was big and rough, a big difference from the softness of Quinn's. They began to walk.

"Well, this is Santana's day so whatever she wants to do is what we will do next," Quinn replied.

This caused Santana to grin like a Cheshire cat; Quinn had said the magic words. She thought for a minute. She looked around and came across a churro stand, it was perfect. "Quinn, can I have a churro? They're my favorite," Santana asked.

Sam looked at Quinn before responding, "I don't think that's such a good idea, since you are going to be riding all those rides. You don't want to get a tummy ache." Santana scoffed and rolled her eyes. "My stomach can handle it. I'm not a baby." She flipped her hair over her shoulder.

Quinn looked down at Santana, "I know you're not a baby, but you don't want to get sick and end the fun early. Let's play some games and ride a few more rides and then you can have your churro," she tried to reason with the little girl. Santana knew she wasn't going to get her way with this; she would have to come up with something else for the time being. Sometimes she hated it when Quinn was right – now she had to deal with froggy lips for a little while longer.

"Okay, I'll get my churro later," she said dejectedly as they continued walking towards the midway. There were so many games to play and so many different prizes to win. Santana wanted to play and win all the prizes. There were giant tigers, bears, Care Bears and pictures; it was like a toy wonderland to her. The trio stopped in front of the water balloon games. You had to shoot water into the clown's mouth to pop the balloon.

"Do you want to play?" Sam asked Santana. Santana looked at Quinn to see if it was okay. "Can I play, Quinnie? Can I?" she asked, jumping up and down.

Quinn laughed. "Go ahead, munchkin." She helped Santana onto the stool.

The guy came over and Sam paid him $1.00. Santana looked around and saw that there were three other people playing – there was no way she was going to let them win. When the music started, Santana sprayed the bull's eye in the clown's mouth while Quinn and Sam were cheering her on. She kept trying and trying until her balloon popped. The man declared her the winner and everyone clapped and cheered.

"Quinnie, I did it! I won, I won!" she screamed. Quinn laughed. "I know, munchkin! I am so proud of you!" She kissed her on the nose.

This made Santana smile, showing her adorable dimples. She felt the butterflies in her stomach again and she felt warm and fuzzy inside, but that went away when Sam touched her arm. He was trying to get her attention because the guy was talking to her.

"What prize would you like little lady?" the announcer asked her. He was quite taken with the little girl, she reminded him of his daughter. Santana looked thoughtful; she looked all over the prizes until her eyes rested on a white dog with black spots. He was cute and very big; it was as close to a dog as she was going to get since her mom was allergic to them.

"I want that dog over there." She pointed to the dog she was looking at.

"Good choice, I'm sure he would like going home with you." He gave her a wink and walked over to get the dog. Santana waited patiently as he went to retrieve the dog of her choice. She looked over to where Quinn and Sam were standing and she didn't like what she saw. Quinn and Sam were holding hands and Sam was whispering something in her ear. This caused Santana to see red. She didn't realize that the man was back.

He tapped her shoulder with the dog. "Here you go, little lady." Santana turned around and plastered a smile on her face. "Thank you very much. He's cute," she told the man.

He smiled at her. "Well, I hope you give him a nice name and a good home." Santana looked the dog over. "I name him Sir Snow Paw," she told the guy and walked off. Santana took Sir Snow Paw and made her way over to Quinn and Sam. She pushed her way between them and shoved the dog in Quinn's face.

"Quinnie, meet Sir Snow Paw," Santana smiled, completely ignoring the boy. Quinn looked at the dog and then back at Santana. "He's a very cute dog. He'll keep you company and won't ever run away." She took the girls hand in hers.

"He will protect you from the monsters in your closet," Sam chimed in.

Santana looked at him raising her eyebrows. "I'm almost nine and I don't believe in monsters anymore," she replied.

Sam didn't know what to say, so they continued walking. They spent the rest of the evening playing games and riding rides. Quinn even won Santana a little gold fish, which Santana named "Goldie". The name wasn't creative, but he was just a fish, it wasn't like she could name him Nemo. Every time Sam and Quinn tried to have a moment alone, Santana always stepped in between them, trying to keep Quinn's attention. Santana was having fun despite Sam being there and trying to take her Quinn away. She finally got her churro, along with some other food and a Coke. She was good and full, but she wanted to ride one last ride before she left.

"Quinnie? Can we ride that ride over there?" She pointed to the ride with the people standing up going round and round.

Quinn looked at her a little skeptical. "I don't think that's a good idea, Santana, considering all that food you ate. We'll come back some other time and you can ride it then." Santana shook her head in protest. "B-but Quinnie, my stomach will be fine. Please can I go? Please?" she asked, pouting. Quinn tried her hardest to deny the Santana pout, but she wasn't successful, she finally gave in. "Fine, go ahead. Sam and I will watch from the sideline. "Santana handed Quinn her dog and goldfish and made a beeline for the ride.

Santana buckled herself in and rested her back against the cushion. The ride started slowly and then went faster as it was spinning on its side. She was screaming in delight with all the other people on the ride. She saw Sam and Quinn pointing at her and waving. As the ride went on Santana could feel her stomach bubbling up in her chest. The ride stopped and Santana made her way off the ride, a little dizzy, where she was greeted by Quinn and Sam.

They started walking to the front entrance where they were met by Sam's family. Sam and Quinn were about to share a kiss goodbye, but Santana had other plans. Without any warning, she threw up all over Sam's pants and his shoes. This caused everyone to groan in disgust. Santana getting sick really put a damper on things. Quinn took Santana to the bathroom and cleaned her up.

"I'm sorry, Quinnie. I should have listened," Santana said in a small voice. Quinn took a wet paper towel and cleaned Santana's face. "Next time you should listen, okay. Let's go say bye to Sam so we can get you home," she replied. Once operation Clean Up Santana was finished, the duo made their way over to Sam, who had cleaned himself up as best as he could.

"You feel any better?" he asked the little girl. Santana looked at him. "A little bit. I'm sorry for throwing up on you," she said apologetically.

He looked at the girl and smiled. "It's alright, just feel better." He looked over at Quinn, who gave him a small smile. "I'll call you later, to make sure that you and Santana made it home safe."

"I would like that," Quinn replied and ushered Santana out of the fair. Quinn grabbed Santana's hand with her free hand and led her to the car. Santana didn't say anything as she finally realized that Sam was here to stay. Santana Lopez was not a happy girl, not at all.


	7. Santana Gets Hurt

Santana was ten years old when her world would come crashing down around her. Quinn was leaving for college and she would have to say good-bye to the one person she loved more than her parents. The summer was over and it was almost time for school to start again. Santana would be entering the fifth grade and Quinn would be going to college. This made Santana sad, because she wouldn't have her favorite babysitter around anymore. It was bad enough that she had to share Quinn with guppy face, but now she would be sharing her with people in New York, this made Santana angry and sad at the same time. It wasn't fair, and she didn't like it one bit. She looked out the window and saw Sam and Quinn hugging for the last time, tonight would be the official last time Quinn would be over to the house, since she leaves tomorrow.

Santana closed the curtain and went to her night stand where Goldie was swimming happily in his bowl. She pulled out the fish food and shook it a few times, allowing the food to fall into the bowl. Once there was enough, she put the box back on her night stand and went to her closet. Tonight was a special night; Mama Judy and her parents were having a going away dinner for Quinn. She was a second daughter to them and they loved her like one. Santana, on the other hand, didn't love her like a sister; she loved her like her dad loved her mom.

The little girl walked to her closet and opened the door. She walked in and looked over her closet to figure out what she wanted to wear. She went through her clothes until she came across a black denim mini skirt. She pulled it out, walked over to the side of the closet that held her shirts and looked through them all. She kept looking until she came across her white Hello Kitty tank top, grabbed it and draped it over her skirt. With one final look at her outfit of choice, she closed her closet door and laid the clothes on the bed.

Santana went about getting dressed and making sure that her hair was just right; she wanted to make sure she looked good for Quinn. She made her way downstairs and into the kitchen where her parents were preparing different types of food. Santana loved it when her parents cooked because that usually meant that she could taste or she could help. Tonight she really wanted to help.

"Mommy? Can I help you with the dinner tonight?" she asked her mom, sitting down at the kitchen island. Mirabel looked at her daughter. "Why don't you help your dad make the desserts, he looks like he is having a hard time stirring the cake batter." She nodded her head towards her husband. Santana hopped down from the bar stool and made her way over to the counter, where her father was putting the ingredients together for a yellow cake. Without a word, she grabbed her step stool, placed it next to her father and stood on it next to him.

He looked at her and smiled. "What are you doing over here little lady? I thought you would be helping your mom," he asked. Santana tried not to smile. "Well, mommy said that you needed help over here, so here I am," she explained. "Since you're here, you can be my sous chef and help me mix and make the cake. I'm sure Quinn would appreciate it more if she knew that you were the one who made it." He gave her a small wink. Santana blushed a little bit at this; she knew that her dad knew that she had a huge crush on Quinn. He knew before she could even say anything. To her, her father was the smartest man in the world, because he knew everything.

"I can do that." She reached over and grabbed her apron off of the little hook that was beside the counter. She put it on, tied the strings behind her back and began assisting her father with making the cake. Mirabel watched as father and daughter laughed and sang as they made the cake. These were the moments that she cherished, Xavier was so busy at the hospital, and they really didn't have many family moments like these, so tonight she was very appreciative of it. She knows that Santana loves every moment of it. The cake was mixed, put in the pans and ready for the oven. Santana had one pan in her hand and her dad had the other – together, they walked over to the preheated oven, placed the pans carefully in the appliance and Santana closed the door.

"All done, daddy!" she exclaimed happily. He touched her nose lightly. "I couldn't ask for a better assistant. Now why don't you run along and play and let your mother and I finish up here," he suggested. He didn't have to tell Santana twice. She took her apron off, placed it back on the little hook and ran outside to the back yard. She was swinging on her swing set when she noticed that there were people moving into the house behind her. It wasn't as big as Santana's but it was modest and in the not so upper middle class section of the Lima Heights community, where her house was located. She continued swinging no longer caring about the people moving into the house. Santana was so lost in her own little world that she didn't notice Quinn standing beside the swing set.

"Can I swing with you, munchkin?" Quinn asked.

Santana stopped swinging and smiled at her nickname. "Of course, Quinn, you can always swing with me." She pointed to the empty swing next to her. They started swinging again, neither one of them saying anything, just content at the feeling of the summer breeze against their skin. After a while, Santana got tired of swinging and stopped. Quinn stopped as well.

"What's the matter, munchkin?" Quinn asked softly. Santana looked at her. "Will you think of me when you're off at college?" she asked sadly. Quinn got off of her swing and knelt in front of Santana so that she could look her in the eyes before answering. This caused Santana's stomach to do flip flops; Quinn had the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen.

"You are the one person that I would never forget. You're my munchkin and my favorite girl; no one can ever take your place. I'll even give you my e-mail address so we can e-mail each other every now and then. I want to know how you're doing in school and I will try and call you before you go to bed, just to say good night," she told the little girl sincerely.

Santana smiled at this. "You promise, right?" she asked, never breaking eye contact. Quinn smiled. "Yes, munchkin I promise," She winked and gave Santana a light kiss on her nose, "Why don't we go to the park for a little while until it's time for us to eat?" She stood up and held out her hand for Santana to take. Santana jumped off the swing and grabbed Quinn's hand. They walked across the backyard and into the house, so Quinn could let both their parents know where they were going. Once their parents said it was okay to go, they walked out of the house and around the corner to the park. There were a lot of kids out today. Santana saw Kurt and Mercedes, they waved her over to play with them, but Santana didn't want to leave Quinn's side.

"Why don't you go play with your friends?" she asked the girl beside her. Santana looked at Quinn, "Because if I go play with them, then you will go away. I don't want you to go away," she told her in a small voice. Quinn smiled. "It's okay to go play with your friends, I'm not going anywhere. I'll be sitting right over there." She pointed to the bench under a big willow tree.

The girl let out a small sigh. "Okay, I'll go play. Don't go anywhere okay?" she asked. "I won't, now go play." She let go of Santana's hand.

Santana took off running towards her friends, but she stopped and turned around to wave at Quinn. Quinn waved back and sat down on the bench as Santana made her way over to her friends.

"Hey, Tana." Mercedes and Kurt greeted her. Santana smiled. "Hey guys," she greeted them and sat on the empty swing that was in between the boy and girl. She considered Kurt and Mercedes two of her best friends; all three of them didn't like Rachel all that much, and they all liked fashion. Santana never thought of Kurt as a yucky boy, she always treated him like one of the girls. This made Kurt all kinds of happy, but Santana never really knew why.

Kurt looked over to where Quinn was sitting, "I thought Quinn was leaving for New York?" He asked out of curiosity. It was all Santana could talk about. "Quinn is leaving tomorrow morning." Santana replied softly, "We are having a going away dinner for her tonight."

"I have dreams of going to New York, to be a fashion designer." Kurt replied dreamily.

Mercedes laughed, "I want to go to LA, so I can be a famous singer. What about you Santana?"

Santana smiled, "College in New York." She didn't have to think twice about her answer. They got tired of the swings and made their way over to the monkey bars. They climbed and played to their little hearts' desire, but that only lasted until Santana fell from the top of the bars and hit the ground. She let out a cry of pain, which caused Quinn to run over to the little girl, along with the other parents that were.

"What happened, munchkin?" she asked, concerned for the little girl in front of her. Santana was hysterical and couldn't answer. She cradled her arm against her chest, afraid to move it because it hurt so much.

"Tana was climbing on the bars and she fell," Mercedes answered.

Quinn brushed the little girl's hair out of her face, "Are you hurt?" she asked Santana. Santana kept crying but nodded her head. "M..m..my arm, it hurts, Quinnie, it hurts so bad," she continued crying. Quinn took out her phone, dialed the Lopez's number and explained to them what happened. A few minutes later, Xavier came over, scooped his daughter up in his arms and took her to the car.

"I want Quinnie to come with me," she managed to say between sobs. Quinn ran behind them. "I'm right here, munchkin." They all piled into the car and made a trip to the emergency room. The ride was made in silence, save for Santana's crying, and Mirabel trying to comfort her daughter. This is not how the evening was supposed to start. Quinn was feeling guilty; she felt like it was her fault, she should've been watching Santana better.

Xavier and Mirabel took their daughter into the emergency room, while Judy and Quinn sat in the waiting room. She took this time to talk to her daughter. She could tell that Quinn was feeling guilty about Santana's accident. "It's not your fault Quinn. It was just an accident, and accidents do happen" She comforted her daughter. "You don't understand it happened when I was supposed to be watching her." She cried, "They probably hate me now."

Xavier came out and saw Quinn crying he made his way over to the crying teen. "It's not your fault Quinn and we don't hate you. We could never hate you, and Santana thinks you are the greatest thing since, ice cream." Quinn looked up to see the truth in his eyes, "She wouldn't have gotten hurt if I was paying attention." She tried not to cry again, Xavier grabbed her hand excused themselves. Judy just watched as the man who was like a father and her daughter walk off.

"Remember when you first baby sat for Santana? She was so excited that she fell to the ground trying to get to you." Xavier broke the silence. Quinn nodded and smiled, "I remember, she scraped her knees and hands." The older Lopez smiled, "She did and you felt so bad for it, but we reassured you that it wasn't your fault." Quinn just nodded not trusting herself to talk; she didn't want to say anything wrong. "This isn't your fault; it's all a part of childhood and kids get hurt all the time, even with parents and babysitters looking after them. So don't feel bad about this, we still love you." He brought her in for a hug and kissed the top of her head. Quinn relaxed into the hug she was relieved that no one blamed her.

Mirabel was sitting in the room while Santana's arm was being x-rayed. She knew that her daughter would be scared of the big machines; it's not every day that she has to have x-rays taken. Mirabel was surprised at how brave her daughter was being; the tears dried up, and replaced with a false bravado.

"You're a very brave little girl. Most kids would be crying and screaming right now," Dr. Rodriguez told her.

Santana barely smiled, "I'm a Lopez we don't get scared," she answered. She was all sorts of scared, but she doesn't want to show it. Santana really wished that Quinn was back there with her, maybe she would make her feel better. "You are definitely Xavier's child," she commented. "Your dad is the best doctor in here, you know?" she continued talking to the little girl.

"I know, he is the best daddy too," she replied. The X-ray went fine and they found out that Santana had broken her arm in two different places. Santana also learned that she was going to be in a cast for at least six weeks, which made her sad because she had to start the school year off with her arm in a cast.

An hour and a new cast later, Santana and Mirabel made their way into the waiting area. Santana showed off her bright blue cast and told everyone how brave she had been. They all left the emergency room and went back to the Lopez house. The car ride home was filled with silence. Once the car pulled into the driveway, Quinn, Natalia, Xavier, Judy and little Santana all made their way out of the SUV. Santana and Quinn went into the family room and the adults made their way to the kitchen after making sure that Santana was alright.

"How are you feeling, munchkin?" Quinn asked the girl sitting beside her. Santana looked at her with tear-filled eyes. "I don't like this cast and they saw me cry. I don't cry in front of other people, it's a sign of weakness," she answered in a small voice. Quinn put her arm around the girl. "It's okay to cry, you don't have to be brave all the time. Everybody cries, even if they say that they don't," she reassured her. Quinn saw a marker on the coffee table. She grabbed it and took the top off. Santana looked at her quizzically, wondering what she was going to do with it.

"What's that for?" she asked, this was something new to her. "I'm going to be the first one to sign your cast." She gently picked up Santana's arm and wrote a little message to her.

"That's cool." Santana watched as she signed. When Quinn was done, she put the marker back down on the table and turned to face Santana, who was reading her cast.

"I love you too Quinn and I will never forget you," Santana smiled.

Dinner was eventful and there was a lot of conversation. Santana was unusually quiet as the adults and Quinn continued talking. She really didn't know what to say, it wasn't like she could cry and scream, begging the older girl not to go away.

"Can I be excused, please?" Santana asked. Mirabel answered her daughter. "Of course you can, sweetheart. Don't you want any dessert?" Santana shook her head. "No, I just want to go lie down." She pushed her chair back and got up. Santana made a beeline to her room upstairs, leaving everyone – including Quinn – in a state of confusion.

Santana sat on her bed, holding Sir Snow Paw when she heard a knock on her door. Before she could answer, the door was slowly opening and she Quinn poked her head in.

"Is it alright if I come in?" she asked. The little girl smiled a little. "You can come in." Quinn walked in and closed the door behind her. She sat down on the bed across from Santana, who was holding her dog with her free arm.

"Why are you hiding out in your room? Don't you want to be around me?" she asked. Santana looked at her with expressive eyes. "I don't like the talk about you leaving, because I can't go with you. Who is going to come over and spend time with me and take me places?"

The older girl looked at Santana. "I'm sure that there will be someone who will do those things with you. I won't be gone forever; I'll come back and visit when I have breaks from school. "Santana looked away. "It won't be the same, because they aren't you." Quinn moved closer to the little girl until she was sitting beside her. She didn't know what to say to reassure her, it broke her heart to see Santana hurting like this.

"No one will ever be me and I'm not being replaced. Your next sitter will be a stand in for me, until I come back. We can e-mail and I'll call you and if your parents will let you, you can call me too. This isn't goodbye, it's a see you later," Quinn told her. Santana laid her head on the girls shoulder. "I don't like it and I still don't want you to go. I don't want a stand in and I don't want e-mails and calls. I want you to stay here."

Quinn didn't know what to say to that, so instead she just held Santana, not saying a word. She heard the girl's breathing evening out, signaling that she was asleep. She untangled herself from the girl and laid her down gently on the bed, carefully making sure that her injured arm wasn't in the way. She quietly got off the bed and gave one last look at the sleeping girl. She kissed her lightly on the cheek, turned the light off and left her room. She made sure to leave her door cracked open just a little, as Santana liked it.

She made her way downstairs. She truly was going to miss Santana; she had come to care about the girl a great deal. To her, Santana was like the little sister she always wanted, but couldn't have and she loved her very much. The evening ended with everyone saying good night and the promise of seeing Quinn off tomorrow.

Mirabel and Xavier locked the house up for the night and set the alarm. They made their way upstairs, but not before checking on their daughter. Xavier opened the door and saw that Santana was sound asleep. He closed the door again, leaving it open at a crack and nodded to his wife.

"Tomorrow will be a very sad day for her. I hate that she has to go through this," Mirabel told her husband as they entered their room. "I know, but Santana is a big girl, she will bounce back," he reminded his wife.

Mirabel laughed. "It won't be that easy, Quinn is Santana's big love. I don't think she will get over it that easily. This is Santana we're talking about here, the girl who threw a tantrum because Quinn went away to Cabo San Lucas for her spring break," she laughed.

Xavier shook his head at that memory; Santana was unbearable raising hell for poor Sarah. He had never seen her so out of control in his life. She was talking back and trying to find ways to get Sarah fired. It wasn't a good at all.

"I will never forget that. I will take some time off so we can make the transition easier for her." They climbed into bed. "I hope that it will work," she told him with a little uncertainty.

Santana was ten years old when her world would come crashing down around her. Quinn was leaving for college and she would have to say good-bye to the one person she loved more than her parents. The summer was over and it was almost time for school to start again. Santana would be entering the fifth grade and Quinn would be going to college. This made Santana sad, because she wouldn't have her favorite babysitter around anymore. It was bad enough that she had to share Quinn with guppy face, but now she would be sharing her with people in New York, this made Santana angry and sad at the same time. It wasn't fair, and she didn't like it one bit. She looked out the window and saw Sam and Quinn hugging for the last time, tonight would be the official last time Quinn would be over to the house, since she leaves tomorrow.

Santana closed the curtain and went to her night stand where Goldie was swimming happily in his bowl. She pulled out the fish food and shook it a few times, allowing the food to fall into the bowl. Once there was enough, she put the box back on her night stand and went to her closet. Tonight was a special night; Mama Judy and her parents were having a going away dinner for Quinn. She was a second daughter to them and they loved her like one. Santana, on the other hand, didn't love her like a sister; she loved her like her dad loved her mom.

The little girl walked to her closet and opened the door. She walked in and looked over her closet to figure out what she wanted to wear. She went through her clothes until she came across a black denim mini skirt. She pulled it out, walked over to the side of the closet that held her shirts and looked through them all. She kept looking until she came across her white Hello Kitty tank top, grabbed it and draped it over her skirt. With one final look at her outfit of choice, she closed her closet door and laid the clothes on the bed.

Santana went about getting dressed and making sure that her hair was just right; she wanted to make sure she looked good for Quinn. She made her way downstairs and into the kitchen where her parents were preparing different types of food. Santana loved it when her parents cooked because that usually meant that she could taste or she could help. Tonight she really wanted to help.

"Mommy? Can I help you with the dinner tonight?" she asked her mom, sitting down at the kitchen island. Mirabel looked at her daughter. "Why don't you help your dad make the desserts, he looks like he is having a hard time stirring the cake batter." She nodded her head towards her husband. Santana hopped down from the bar stool and made her way over to the counter, where her father was putting the ingredients together for a yellow cake. Without a word, she grabbed her step stool, placed it next to her father and stood on it next to him.

He looked at her and smiled. "What are you doing over here little lady? I thought you would be helping your mom," he asked. Santana tried not to smile. "Well, mommy said that you needed help over here, so here I am," she explained. "Since you're here, you can be my sous chef and help me mix and make the cake. I'm sure Quinn would appreciate it more if she knew that you were the one who made it." He gave her a small wink. Santana blushed a little bit at this; she knew that her dad knew that she had a huge crush on Quinn. He knew before she could even say anything. To her, her father was the smartest man in the world, because he knew everything.

"I can do that." She reached over and grabbed her apron off of the little hook that was beside the counter. She put it on, tied the strings behind her back and began assisting her father with making the cake. Mirabel watched as father and daughter laughed and sang as they made the cake. These were the moments that she cherished, Xavier was so busy at the hospital, and they really didn't have many family moments like these, so tonight she was very appreciative of it. She knows that Santana loves every moment of it. The cake was mixed, put in the pans and ready for the oven. Santana had one pan in her hand and her dad had the other – together, they walked over to the preheated oven, placed the pans carefully in the appliance and Santana closed the door.

"All done, daddy!" she exclaimed happily. He touched her nose lightly. "I couldn't ask for a better assistant. Now why don't you run along and play and let your mother and I finish up here," he suggested. He didn't have to tell Santana twice. She took her apron off, placed it back on the little hook and ran outside to the back yard. She was swinging on her swing set when she noticed that there were people moving into the house behind her. It wasn't as big as Santana's but it was modest and in the not so upper middle class section of the Lima Heights community, where her house was located. She continued swinging no longer caring about the people moving into the house. Santana was so lost in her own little world that she didn't notice Quinn standing beside the swing set.

"Can I swing with you, munchkin?" Quinn asked.

Santana stopped swinging and smiled at her nickname. "Of course, Quinn, you can always swing with me." She pointed to the empty swing next to her. They started swinging again, neither one of them saying anything, just content at the feeling of the summer breeze against their skin. After a while, Santana got tired of swinging and stopped. Quinn stopped as well.

"What's the matter, munchkin?" Quinn asked softly. Santana looked at her. "Will you think of me when you're off at college?" she asked sadly. Quinn got off of her swing and knelt in front of Santana so that she could look her in the eyes before answering. This caused Santana's stomach to do flip flops; Quinn had the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen.

"You are the one person that I would never forget. You're my munchkin and my favorite girl; no one can ever take your place. I'll even give you my e-mail address so we can e-mail each other every now and then. I want to know how you're doing in school and I will try and call you before you go to bed, just to say good night," she told the little girl sincerely.

Santana smiled at this. "You promise, right?" she asked, never breaking eye contact. Quinn smiled. "Yes, munchkin I promise," She winked and gave Santana a light kiss on her nose, "Why don't we go to the park for a little while until it's time for us to eat?" She stood up and held out her hand for Santana to take. Santana jumped off the swing and grabbed Quinn's hand. They walked across the backyard and into the house, so Quinn could let both their parents know where they were going. Once their parents said it was okay to go, they walked out of the house and around the corner to the park. There were a lot of kids out today. Santana saw Kurt and Mercedes, they waved her over to play with them, but Santana didn't want to leave Quinn's side.

"Why don't you go play with your friends?" she asked the girl beside her. Santana looked at Quinn, "Because if I go play with them, then you will go away. I don't want you to go away," she told her in a small voice. Quinn smiled. "It's okay to go play with your friends, I'm not going anywhere. I'll be sitting right over there." She pointed to the bench under a big willow tree.

The girl let out a small sigh. "Okay, I'll go play. Don't go anywhere okay?" she asked. "I won't, now go play." She let go of Santana's hand.

Santana took off running towards her friends, but she stopped and turned around to wave at Quinn. Quinn waved back and sat down on the bench as Santana made her way over to her friends.

"Hey, Tana." Mercedes and Kurt greeted her. Santana smiled. "Hey guys," she greeted them and sat on the empty swing that was in between the boy and girl. She considered Kurt and Mercedes two of her best friends; all three of them didn't like Rachel all that much, and they all liked fashion. Santana never thought of Kurt as a yucky boy, she always treated him like one of the girls. This made Kurt all kinds of happy, but Santana never really knew why.

Kurt looked over to where Quinn was sitting, "I thought Quinn was leaving for New York?" He asked out of curiosity. It was all Santana could talk about. "Quinn is leaving tomorrow morning." Santana replied softly, "We are having a going away dinner for her tonight."

"I have dreams of going to New York, to be a fashion designer." Kurt replied dreamily.

Mercedes laughed, "I want to go to LA, so I can be a famous singer. What about you Santana?"

Santana smiled, "College in New York." She didn't have to think twice about her answer. They got tired of the swings and made their way over to the monkey bars. They climbed and played to their little hearts' desire, but that only lasted until Santana fell from the top of the bars and hit the ground. She let out a cry of pain, which caused Quinn to run over to the little girl, along with the other parents that were.

"What happened, munchkin?" she asked, concerned for the little girl in front of her. Santana was hysterical and couldn't answer. She cradled her arm against her chest, afraid to move it because it hurt so much.

"Tana was climbing on the bars and she fell," Mercedes answered.

Quinn brushed the little girl's hair out of her face, "Are you hurt?" she asked Santana. Santana kept crying but nodded her head. "M..m..my arm, it hurts, Quinnie, it hurts so bad," she continued crying. Quinn took out her phone, dialed the Lopez's number and explained to them what happened. A few minutes later, Xavier came over, scooped his daughter up in his arms and took her to the car.

"I want Quinnie to come with me," she managed to say between sobs. Quinn ran behind them. "I'm right here, munchkin." They all piled into the car and made a trip to the emergency room. The ride was made in silence, save for Santana's crying, and Mirabel trying to comfort her daughter. This is not how the evening was supposed to start. Quinn was feeling guilty; she felt like it was her fault, she should've been watching Santana better.

Xavier and Mirabel took their daughter into the emergency room, while Judy and Quinn sat in the waiting room. She took this time to talk to her daughter. She could tell that Quinn was feeling guilty about Santana's accident. "It's not your fault Quinn. It was just an accident, and accidents do happen" She comforted her daughter. "You don't understand it happened when I was supposed to be watching her." She cried, "They probably hate me now."

Xavier came out and saw Quinn crying he made his way over to the crying teen. "It's not your fault Quinn and we don't hate you. We could never hate you, and Santana thinks you are the greatest thing since, ice cream." Quinn looked up to see the truth in his eyes, "She wouldn't have gotten hurt if I was paying attention." She tried not to cry again, Xavier grabbed her hand excused themselves. Judy just watched as the man who was like a father and her daughter walk off.

"Remember when you first baby sat for Santana? She was so excited that she fell to the ground trying to get to you." Xavier broke the silence. Quinn nodded and smiled, "I remember, she scraped her knees and hands." The older Lopez smiled, "She did and you felt so bad for it, but we reassured you that it wasn't your fault." Quinn just nodded not trusting herself to talk; she didn't want to say anything wrong. "This isn't your fault; it's all a part of childhood and kids get hurt all the time, even with parents and babysitters looking after them. So don't feel bad about this, we still love you." He brought her in for a hug and kissed the top of her head. Quinn relaxed into the hug she was relieved that no one blamed her.

Mirabel was sitting in the room while Santana's arm was being x-rayed. She knew that her daughter would be scared of the big machines; it's not every day that she has to have x-rays taken. Mirabel was surprised at how brave her daughter was being; the tears dried up, and replaced with a false bravado.

"You're a very brave little girl. Most kids would be crying and screaming right now," Dr. Rodriguez told her.

Santana barely smiled, "I'm a Lopez we don't get scared," she answered. She was all sorts of scared, but she doesn't want to show it. Santana really wished that Quinn was back there with her, maybe she would make her feel better. "You are definitely Xavier's child," she commented. "Your dad is the best doctor in here, you know?" she continued talking to the little girl.

"I know, he is the best daddy too," she replied. The X-ray went fine and they found out that Santana had broken her arm in two different places. Santana also learned that she was going to be in a cast for at least six weeks, which made her sad because she had to start the school year off with her arm in a cast.

An hour and a new cast later, Santana and Mirabel made their way into the waiting area. Santana showed off her bright blue cast and told everyone how brave she had been. They all left the emergency room and went back to the Lopez house. The car ride home was filled with silence. Once the car pulled into the driveway, Quinn, Natalia, Xavier, Judy and little Santana all made their way out of the SUV. Santana and Quinn went into the family room and the adults made their way to the kitchen after making sure that Santana was alright.

"How are you feeling, munchkin?" Quinn asked the girl sitting beside her. Santana looked at her with tear-filled eyes. "I don't like this cast and they saw me cry. I don't cry in front of other people, it's a sign of weakness," she answered in a small voice. Quinn put her arm around the girl. "It's okay to cry, you don't have to be brave all the time. Everybody cries, even if they say that they don't," she reassured her. Quinn saw a marker on the coffee table. She grabbed it and took the top off. Santana looked at her quizzically, wondering what she was going to do with it.

"What's that for?" she asked, this was something new to her. "I'm going to be the first one to sign your cast." She gently picked up Santana's arm and wrote a little message to her.

"That's cool." Santana watched as she signed. When Quinn was done, she put the marker back down on the table and turned to face Santana, who was reading her cast.

"I love you too Quinn and I will never forget you," Santana smiled.

Dinner was eventful and there was a lot of conversation. Santana was unusually quiet as the adults and Quinn continued talking. She really didn't know what to say, it wasn't like she could cry and scream, begging the older girl not to go away.

"Can I be excused, please?" Santana asked. Mirabel answered her daughter. "Of course you can, sweetheart. Don't you want any dessert?" Santana shook her head. "No, I just want to go lie down." She pushed her chair back and got up. Santana made a beeline to her room upstairs, leaving everyone – including Quinn – in a state of confusion.

Santana sat on her bed, holding Sir Snow Paw when she heard a knock on her door. Before she could answer, the door was slowly opening and she Quinn poked her head in.

"Is it alright if I come in?" she asked. The little girl smiled a little. "You can come in." Quinn walked in and closed the door behind her. She sat down on the bed across from Santana, who was holding her dog with her free arm.

"Why are you hiding out in your room? Don't you want to be around me?" she asked. Santana looked at her with expressive eyes. "I don't like the talk about you leaving, because I can't go with you. Who is going to come over and spend time with me and take me places?"

The older girl looked at Santana. "I'm sure that there will be someone who will do those things with you. I won't be gone forever; I'll come back and visit when I have breaks from school. "Santana looked away. "It won't be the same, because they aren't you." Quinn moved closer to the little girl until she was sitting beside her. She didn't know what to say to reassure her, it broke her heart to see Santana hurting like this.

"No one will ever be me and I'm not being replaced. Your next sitter will be a stand in for me, until I come back. We can e-mail and I'll call you and if your parents will let you, you can call me too. This isn't goodbye, it's a see you later," Quinn told her. Santana laid her head on the girls shoulder. "I don't like it and I still don't want you to go. I don't want a stand in and I don't want e-mails and calls. I want you to stay here."

Quinn didn't know what to say to that, so instead she just held Santana, not saying a word. She heard the girl's breathing evening out, signaling that she was asleep. She untangled herself from the girl and laid her down gently on the bed, carefully making sure that her injured arm wasn't in the way. She quietly got off the bed and gave one last look at the sleeping girl. She kissed her lightly on the cheek, turned the light off and left her room. She made sure to leave her door cracked open just a little, as Santana liked it.

She made her way downstairs. She truly was going to miss Santana; she had come to care about the girl a great deal. To her, Santana was like the little sister she always wanted, but couldn't have and she loved her very much. The evening ended with everyone saying good night and the promise of seeing Quinn off tomorrow.

Mirabel and Xavier locked the house up for the night and set the alarm. They made their way upstairs, but not before checking on their daughter. Xavier opened the door and saw that Santana was sound asleep. He closed the door again, leaving it open at a crack and nodded to his wife.

"Tomorrow will be a very sad day for her. I hate that she has to go through this," Mirabel told her husband as they entered their room. "I know, but Santana is a big girl, she will bounce back," he reminded his wife.

Mirabel laughed. "It won't be that easy, Quinn is Santana's big love. I don't think she will get over it that easily. This is Santana we're talking about here, the girl who threw a tantrum because Quinn went away to Cabo San Lucas for her spring break," she laughed.

Xavier shook his head at that memory; Santana was unbearable raising hell for poor Sarah. He had never seen her so out of control in his life. She was talking back and trying to find ways to get Sarah fired. It wasn't a good at all.

"I will never forget that. I will take some time off so we can make the transition easier for her." They climbed into bed. "I hope that it will work," she told him with a little uncertainty.

Santana was ten years old when her world would come crashing down around her. Quinn was leaving for college and she would have to say good-bye to the one person she loved more than her parents. The summer was over and it was almost time for school to start again. Santana would be entering the fifth grade and Quinn would be going to college. This made Santana sad, because she wouldn't have her favorite babysitter around anymore. It was bad enough that she had to share Quinn with guppy face, but now she would be sharing her with people in New York, this made Santana angry and sad at the same time. It wasn't fair, and she didn't like it one bit. She looked out the window and saw Sam and Quinn hugging for the last time, tonight would be the official last time Quinn would be over to the house, since she leaves tomorrow.

Santana closed the curtain and went to her night stand where Goldie was swimming happily in his bowl. She pulled out the fish food and shook it a few times, allowing the food to fall into the bowl. Once there was enough, she put the box back on her night stand and went to her closet. Tonight was a special night; Mama Judy and her parents were having a going away dinner for Quinn. She was a second daughter to them and they loved her like one. Santana, on the other hand, didn't love her like a sister; she loved her like her dad loved her mom.

The little girl walked to her closet and opened the door. She walked in and looked over her closet to figure out what she wanted to wear. She went through her clothes until she came across a black denim mini skirt. She pulled it out, walked over to the side of the closet that held her shirts and looked through them all. She kept looking until she came across her white Hello Kitty tank top, grabbed it and draped it over her skirt. With one final look at her outfit of choice, she closed her closet door and laid the clothes on the bed.

Santana went about getting dressed and making sure that her hair was just right; she wanted to make sure she looked good for Quinn. She made her way downstairs and into the kitchen where her parents were preparing different types of food. Santana loved it when her parents cooked because that usually meant that she could taste or she could help. Tonight she really wanted to help.

"Mommy? Can I help you with the dinner tonight?" she asked her mom, sitting down at the kitchen island. Mirabel looked at her daughter. "Why don't you help your dad make the desserts, he looks like he is having a hard time stirring the cake batter." She nodded her head towards her husband. Santana hopped down from the bar stool and made her way over to the counter, where her father was putting the ingredients together for a yellow cake. Without a word, she grabbed her step stool, placed it next to her father and stood on it next to him.

He looked at her and smiled. "What are you doing over here little lady? I thought you would be helping your mom," he asked. Santana tried not to smile. "Well, mommy said that you needed help over here, so here I am," she explained. "Since you're here, you can be my sous chef and help me mix and make the cake. I'm sure Quinn would appreciate it more if she knew that you were the one who made it." He gave her a small wink. Santana blushed a little bit at this; she knew that her dad knew that she had a huge crush on Quinn. He knew before she could even say anything. To her, her father was the smartest man in the world, because he knew everything.

"I can do that." She reached over and grabbed her apron off of the little hook that was beside the counter. She put it on, tied the strings behind her back and began assisting her father with making the cake. Mirabel watched as father and daughter laughed and sang as they made the cake. These were the moments that she cherished, Xavier was so busy at the hospital, and they really didn't have many family moments like these, so tonight she was very appreciative of it. She knows that Santana loves every moment of it. The cake was mixed, put in the pans and ready for the oven. Santana had one pan in her hand and her dad had the other – together, they walked over to the preheated oven, placed the pans carefully in the appliance and Santana closed the door.

"All done, daddy!" she exclaimed happily. He touched her nose lightly. "I couldn't ask for a better assistant. Now why don't you run along and play and let your mother and I finish up here," he suggested. He didn't have to tell Santana twice. She took her apron off, placed it back on the little hook and ran outside to the back yard. She was swinging on her swing set when she noticed that there were people moving into the house behind her. It wasn't as big as Santana's but it was modest and in the not so upper middle class section of the Lima Heights community, where her house was located. She continued swinging no longer caring about the people moving into the house. Santana was so lost in her own little world that she didn't notice Quinn standing beside the swing set.

"Can I swing with you, munchkin?" Quinn asked.

Santana stopped swinging and smiled at her nickname. "Of course, Quinn, you can always swing with me." She pointed to the empty swing next to her. They started swinging again, neither one of them saying anything, just content at the feeling of the summer breeze against their skin. After a while, Santana got tired of swinging and stopped. Quinn stopped as well.

"What's the matter, munchkin?" Quinn asked softly. Santana looked at her. "Will you think of me when you're off at college?" she asked sadly. Quinn got off of her swing and knelt in front of Santana so that she could look her in the eyes before answering. This caused Santana's stomach to do flip flops; Quinn had the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen.

"You are the one person that I would never forget. You're my munchkin and my favorite girl; no one can ever take your place. I'll even give you my e-mail address so we can e-mail each other every now and then. I want to know how you're doing in school and I will try and call you before you go to bed, just to say good night," she told the little girl sincerely.

Santana smiled at this. "You promise, right?" she asked, never breaking eye contact. Quinn smiled. "Yes, munchkin I promise," She winked and gave Santana a light kiss on her nose, "Why don't we go to the park for a little while until it's time for us to eat?" She stood up and held out her hand for Santana to take. Santana jumped off the swing and grabbed Quinn's hand. They walked across the backyard and into the house, so Quinn could let both their parents know where they were going. Once their parents said it was okay to go, they walked out of the house and around the corner to the park. There were a lot of kids out today. Santana saw Kurt and Mercedes, they waved her over to play with them, but Santana didn't want to leave Quinn's side.

"Why don't you go play with your friends?" she asked the girl beside her. Santana looked at Quinn, "Because if I go play with them, then you will go away. I don't want you to go away," she told her in a small voice. Quinn smiled. "It's okay to go play with your friends, I'm not going anywhere. I'll be sitting right over there." She pointed to the bench under a big willow tree.

The girl let out a small sigh. "Okay, I'll go play. Don't go anywhere okay?" she asked. "I won't, now go play." She let go of Santana's hand.

Santana took off running towards her friends, but she stopped and turned around to wave at Quinn. Quinn waved back and sat down on the bench as Santana made her way over to her friends.

"Hey, Tana." Mercedes and Kurt greeted her. Santana smiled. "Hey guys," she greeted them and sat on the empty swing that was in between the boy and girl. She considered Kurt and Mercedes two of her best friends; all three of them didn't like Rachel all that much, and they all liked fashion. Santana never thought of Kurt as a yucky boy, she always treated him like one of the girls. This made Kurt all kinds of happy, but Santana never really knew why.

Kurt looked over to where Quinn was sitting, "I thought Quinn was leaving for New York?" He asked out of curiosity. It was all Santana could talk about. "Quinn is leaving tomorrow morning." Santana replied softly, "We are having a going away dinner for her tonight."

"I have dreams of going to New York, to be a fashion designer." Kurt replied dreamily.

Mercedes laughed, "I want to go to LA, so I can be a famous singer. What about you Santana?"

Santana smiled, "College in New York." She didn't have to think twice about her answer. They got tired of the swings and made their way over to the monkey bars. They climbed and played to their little hearts' desire, but that only lasted until Santana fell from the top of the bars and hit the ground. She let out a cry of pain, which caused Quinn to run over to the little girl, along with the other parents that were.

"What happened, munchkin?" she asked, concerned for the little girl in front of her. Santana was hysterical and couldn't answer. She cradled her arm against her chest, afraid to move it because it hurt so much.

"Tana was climbing on the bars and she fell," Mercedes answered.

Quinn brushed the little girl's hair out of her face, "Are you hurt?" she asked Santana. Santana kept crying but nodded her head. "M..m..my arm, it hurts, Quinnie, it hurts so bad," she continued crying. Quinn took out her phone, dialed the Lopez's number and explained to them what happened. A few minutes later, Xavier came over, scooped his daughter up in his arms and took her to the car.

"I want Quinnie to come with me," she managed to say between sobs. Quinn ran behind them. "I'm right here, munchkin." They all piled into the car and made a trip to the emergency room. The ride was made in silence, save for Santana's crying, and Mirabel trying to comfort her daughter. This is not how the evening was supposed to start. Quinn was feeling guilty; she felt like it was her fault, she should've been watching Santana better.

Xavier and Mirabel took their daughter into the emergency room, while Judy and Quinn sat in the waiting room. She took this time to talk to her daughter. She could tell that Quinn was feeling guilty about Santana's accident. "It's not your fault Quinn. It was just an accident, and accidents do happen" She comforted her daughter. "You don't understand it happened when I was supposed to be watching her." She cried, "They probably hate me now."

Xavier came out and saw Quinn crying he made his way over to the crying teen. "It's not your fault Quinn and we don't hate you. We could never hate you, and Santana thinks you are the greatest thing since, ice cream." Quinn looked up to see the truth in his eyes, "She wouldn't have gotten hurt if I was paying attention." She tried not to cry again, Xavier grabbed her hand excused themselves. Judy just watched as the man who was like a father and her daughter walk off.

"Remember when you first baby sat for Santana? She was so excited that she fell to the ground trying to get to you." Xavier broke the silence. Quinn nodded and smiled, "I remember, she scraped her knees and hands." The older Lopez smiled, "She did and you felt so bad for it, but we reassured you that it wasn't your fault." Quinn just nodded not trusting herself to talk; she didn't want to say anything wrong. "This isn't your fault; it's all a part of childhood and kids get hurt all the time, even with parents and babysitters looking after them. So don't feel bad about this, we still love you." He brought her in for a hug and kissed the top of her head. Quinn relaxed into the hug she was relieved that no one blamed her.

Mirabel was sitting in the room while Santana's arm was being x-rayed. She knew that her daughter would be scared of the big machines; it's not every day that she has to have x-rays taken. Mirabel was surprised at how brave her daughter was being; the tears dried up, and replaced with a false bravado.

"You're a very brave little girl. Most kids would be crying and screaming right now," Dr. Rodriguez told her.

Santana barely smiled, "I'm a Lopez we don't get scared," she answered. She was all sorts of scared, but she doesn't want to show it. Santana really wished that Quinn was back there with her, maybe she would make her feel better. "You are definitely Xavier's child," she commented. "Your dad is the best doctor in here, you know?" she continued talking to the little girl.

"I know, he is the best daddy too," she replied. The X-ray went fine and they found out that Santana had broken her arm in two different places. Santana also learned that she was going to be in a cast for at least six weeks, which made her sad because she had to start the school year off with her arm in a cast.

An hour and a new cast later, Santana and Mirabel made their way into the waiting area. Santana showed off her bright blue cast and told everyone how brave she had been. They all left the emergency room and went back to the Lopez house. The car ride home was filled with silence. Once the car pulled into the driveway, Quinn, Natalia, Xavier, Judy and little Santana all made their way out of the SUV. Santana and Quinn went into the family room and the adults made their way to the kitchen after making sure that Santana was alright.

"How are you feeling, munchkin?" Quinn asked the girl sitting beside her. Santana looked at her with tear-filled eyes. "I don't like this cast and they saw me cry. I don't cry in front of other people, it's a sign of weakness," she answered in a small voice. Quinn put her arm around the girl. "It's okay to cry, you don't have to be brave all the time. Everybody cries, even if they say that they don't," she reassured her. Quinn saw a marker on the coffee table. She grabbed it and took the top off. Santana looked at her quizzically, wondering what she was going to do with it.

"What's that for?" she asked, this was something new to her. "I'm going to be the first one to sign your cast." She gently picked up Santana's arm and wrote a little message to her.

"That's cool." Santana watched as she signed. When Quinn was done, she put the marker back down on the table and turned to face Santana, who was reading her cast.

"I love you too Quinn and I will never forget you," Santana smiled.

Dinner was eventful and there was a lot of conversation. Santana was unusually quiet as the adults and Quinn continued talking. She really didn't know what to say, it wasn't like she could cry and scream, begging the older girl not to go away.

"Can I be excused, please?" Santana asked. Mirabel answered her daughter. "Of course you can, sweetheart. Don't you want any dessert?" Santana shook her head. "No, I just want to go lie down." She pushed her chair back and got up. Santana made a beeline to her room upstairs, leaving everyone – including Quinn – in a state of confusion.

Santana sat on her bed, holding Sir Snow Paw when she heard a knock on her door. Before she could answer, the door was slowly opening and she Quinn poked her head in.

"Is it alright if I come in?" she asked. The little girl smiled a little. "You can come in." Quinn walked in and closed the door behind her. She sat down on the bed across from Santana, who was holding her dog with her free arm.

"Why are you hiding out in your room? Don't you want to be around me?" she asked. Santana looked at her with expressive eyes. "I don't like the talk about you leaving, because I can't go with you. Who is going to come over and spend time with me and take me places?"

The older girl looked at Santana. "I'm sure that there will be someone who will do those things with you. I won't be gone forever; I'll come back and visit when I have breaks from school. "Santana looked away. "It won't be the same, because they aren't you." Quinn moved closer to the little girl until she was sitting beside her. She didn't know what to say to reassure her, it broke her heart to see Santana hurting like this.

"No one will ever be me and I'm not being replaced. Your next sitter will be a stand in for me, until I come back. We can e-mail and I'll call you and if your parents will let you, you can call me too. This isn't goodbye, it's a see you later," Quinn told her. Santana laid her head on the girls shoulder. "I don't like it and I still don't want you to go. I don't want a stand in and I don't want e-mails and calls. I want you to stay here."

Quinn didn't know what to say to that, so instead she just held Santana, not saying a word. She heard the girl's breathing evening out, signaling that she was asleep. She untangled herself from the girl and laid her down gently on the bed, carefully making sure that her injured arm wasn't in the way. She quietly got off the bed and gave one last look at the sleeping girl. She kissed her lightly on the cheek, turned the light off and left her room. She made sure to leave her door cracked open just a little, as Santana liked it.

She made her way downstairs. She truly was going to miss Santana; she had come to care about the girl a great deal. To her, Santana was like the little sister she always wanted, but couldn't have and she loved her very much. The evening ended with everyone saying good night and the promise of seeing Quinn off tomorrow.

Mirabel and Xavier locked the house up for the night and set the alarm. They made their way upstairs, but not before checking on their daughter. Xavier opened the door and saw that Santana was sound asleep. He closed the door again, leaving it open at a crack and nodded to his wife.

"Tomorrow will be a very sad day for her. I hate that she has to go through this," Mirabel told her husband as they entered their room. "I know, but Santana is a big girl, she will bounce back," he reminded his wife.

Mirabel laughed. "It won't be that easy, Quinn is Santana's big love. I don't think she will get over it that easily. This is Santana we're talking about here, the girl who threw a tantrum because Quinn went away to Cabo San Lucas for her spring break," she laughed.

Xavier shook his head at that memory; Santana was unbearable raising hell for poor Sarah. He had never seen her so out of control in his life. She was talking back and trying to find ways to get Sarah fired. It wasn't a good at all.

"I will never forget that. I will take some time off so we can make the transition easier for her." They climbed into bed. "I hope that it will work," she told him with a little uncertainty.

Santana was ten years old when her world would come crashing down around her. Quinn was leaving for college and she would have to say good-bye to the one person she loved more than her parents. The summer was over and it was almost time for school to start again. Santana would be entering the fifth grade and Quinn would be going to college. This made Santana sad, because she wouldn't have her favorite babysitter around anymore. It was bad enough that she had to share Quinn with guppy face, but now she would be sharing her with people in New York, this made Santana angry and sad at the same time. It wasn't fair, and she didn't like it one bit. She looked out the window and saw Sam and Quinn hugging for the last time, tonight would be the official last time Quinn would be over to the house, since she leaves tomorrow.

Santana closed the curtain and went to her night stand where Goldie was swimming happily in his bowl. She pulled out the fish food and shook it a few times, allowing the food to fall into the bowl. Once there was enough, she put the box back on her night stand and went to her closet. Tonight was a special night; Mama Judy and her parents were having a going away dinner for Quinn. She was a second daughter to them and they loved her like one. Santana, on the other hand, didn't love her like a sister; she loved her like her dad loved her mom.

The little girl walked to her closet and opened the door. She walked in and looked over her closet to figure out what she wanted to wear. She went through her clothes until she came across a black denim mini skirt. She pulled it out, walked over to the side of the closet that held her shirts and looked through them all. She kept looking until she came across her white Hello Kitty tank top, grabbed it and draped it over her skirt. With one final look at her outfit of choice, she closed her closet door and laid the clothes on the bed.

Santana went about getting dressed and making sure that her hair was just right; she wanted to make sure she looked good for Quinn. She made her way downstairs and into the kitchen where her parents were preparing different types of food. Santana loved it when her parents cooked because that usually meant that she could taste or she could help. Tonight she really wanted to help.

"Mommy? Can I help you with the dinner tonight?" she asked her mom, sitting down at the kitchen island. Mirabel looked at her daughter. "Why don't you help your dad make the desserts, he looks like he is having a hard time stirring the cake batter." She nodded her head towards her husband. Santana hopped down from the bar stool and made her way over to the counter, where her father was putting the ingredients together for a yellow cake. Without a word, she grabbed her step stool, placed it next to her father and stood on it next to him.

He looked at her and smiled. "What are you doing over here little lady? I thought you would be helping your mom," he asked. Santana tried not to smile. "Well, mommy said that you needed help over here, so here I am," she explained. "Since you're here, you can be my sous chef and help me mix and make the cake. I'm sure Quinn would appreciate it more if she knew that you were the one who made it." He gave her a small wink. Santana blushed a little bit at this; she knew that her dad knew that she had a huge crush on Quinn. He knew before she could even say anything. To her, her father was the smartest man in the world, because he knew everything.

"I can do that." She reached over and grabbed her apron off of the little hook that was beside the counter. She put it on, tied the strings behind her back and began assisting her father with making the cake. Mirabel watched as father and daughter laughed and sang as they made the cake. These were the moments that she cherished, Xavier was so busy at the hospital, and they really didn't have many family moments like these, so tonight she was very appreciative of it. She knows that Santana loves every moment of it. The cake was mixed, put in the pans and ready for the oven. Santana had one pan in her hand and her dad had the other – together, they walked over to the preheated oven, placed the pans carefully in the appliance and Santana closed the door.

"All done, daddy!" she exclaimed happily. He touched her nose lightly. "I couldn't ask for a better assistant. Now why don't you run along and play and let your mother and I finish up here," he suggested. He didn't have to tell Santana twice. She took her apron off, placed it back on the little hook and ran outside to the back yard. She was swinging on her swing set when she noticed that there were people moving into the house behind her. It wasn't as big as Santana's but it was modest and in the not so upper middle class section of the Lima Heights community, where her house was located. She continued swinging no longer caring about the people moving into the house. Santana was so lost in her own little world that she didn't notice Quinn standing beside the swing set.

"Can I swing with you, munchkin?" Quinn asked.

Santana stopped swinging and smiled at her nickname. "Of course, Quinn, you can always swing with me." She pointed to the empty swing next to her. They started swinging again, neither one of them saying anything, just content at the feeling of the summer breeze against their skin. After a while, Santana got tired of swinging and stopped. Quinn stopped as well.

"What's the matter, munchkin?" Quinn asked softly. Santana looked at her. "Will you think of me when you're off at college?" she asked sadly. Quinn got off of her swing and knelt in front of Santana so that she could look her in the eyes before answering. This caused Santana's stomach to do flip flops; Quinn had the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen.

"You are the one person that I would never forget. You're my munchkin and my favorite girl; no one can ever take your place. I'll even give you my e-mail address so we can e-mail each other every now and then. I want to know how you're doing in school and I will try and call you before you go to bed, just to say good night," she told the little girl sincerely.

Santana smiled at this. "You promise, right?" she asked, never breaking eye contact. Quinn smiled. "Yes, munchkin I promise," She winked and gave Santana a light kiss on her nose, "Why don't we go to the park for a little while until it's time for us to eat?" She stood up and held out her hand for Santana to take. Santana jumped off the swing and grabbed Quinn's hand. They walked across the backyard and into the house, so Quinn could let both their parents know where they were going. Once their parents said it was okay to go, they walked out of the house and around the corner to the park. There were a lot of kids out today. Santana saw Kurt and Mercedes, they waved her over to play with them, but Santana didn't want to leave Quinn's side.

"Why don't you go play with your friends?" she asked the girl beside her. Santana looked at Quinn, "Because if I go play with them, then you will go away. I don't want you to go away," she told her in a small voice. Quinn smiled. "It's okay to go play with your friends, I'm not going anywhere. I'll be sitting right over there." She pointed to the bench under a big willow tree.

The girl let out a small sigh. "Okay, I'll go play. Don't go anywhere okay?" she asked. "I won't, now go play." She let go of Santana's hand.

Santana took off running towards her friends, but she stopped and turned around to wave at Quinn. Quinn waved back and sat down on the bench as Santana made her way over to her friends.

"Hey, Tana." Mercedes and Kurt greeted her. Santana smiled. "Hey guys," she greeted them and sat on the empty swing that was in between the boy and girl. She considered Kurt and Mercedes two of her best friends; all three of them didn't like Rachel all that much, and they all liked fashion. Santana never thought of Kurt as a yucky boy, she always treated him like one of the girls. This made Kurt all kinds of happy, but Santana never really knew why.

Kurt looked over to where Quinn was sitting, "I thought Quinn was leaving for New York?" He asked out of curiosity. It was all Santana could talk about. "Quinn is leaving tomorrow morning." Santana replied softly, "We are having a going away dinner for her tonight."

"I have dreams of going to New York, to be a fashion designer." Kurt replied dreamily.

Mercedes laughed, "I want to go to LA, so I can be a famous singer. What about you Santana?"

Santana smiled, "College in New York." She didn't have to think twice about her answer. They got tired of the swings and made their way over to the monkey bars. They climbed and played to their little hearts' desire, but that only lasted until Santana fell from the top of the bars and hit the ground. She let out a cry of pain, which caused Quinn to run over to the little girl, along with the other parents that were.

"What happened, munchkin?" she asked, concerned for the little girl in front of her. Santana was hysterical and couldn't answer. She cradled her arm against her chest, afraid to move it because it hurt so much.

"Tana was climbing on the bars and she fell," Mercedes answered.

Quinn brushed the little girl's hair out of her face, "Are you hurt?" she asked Santana. Santana kept crying but nodded her head. "M..m..my arm, it hurts, Quinnie, it hurts so bad," she continued crying. Quinn took out her phone, dialed the Lopez's number and explained to them what happened. A few minutes later, Xavier came over, scooped his daughter up in his arms and took her to the car.

"I want Quinnie to come with me," she managed to say between sobs. Quinn ran behind them. "I'm right here, munchkin." They all piled into the car and made a trip to the emergency room. The ride was made in silence, save for Santana's crying, and Mirabel trying to comfort her daughter. This is not how the evening was supposed to start. Quinn was feeling guilty; she felt like it was her fault, she should've been watching Santana better.

Xavier and Mirabel took their daughter into the emergency room, while Judy and Quinn sat in the waiting room. She took this time to talk to her daughter. She could tell that Quinn was feeling guilty about Santana's accident. "It's not your fault Quinn. It was just an accident, and accidents do happen" She comforted her daughter. "You don't understand it happened when I was supposed to be watching her." She cried, "They probably hate me now."

Xavier came out and saw Quinn crying he made his way over to the crying teen. "It's not your fault Quinn and we don't hate you. We could never hate you, and Santana thinks you are the greatest thing since, ice cream." Quinn looked up to see the truth in his eyes, "She wouldn't have gotten hurt if I was paying attention." She tried not to cry again, Xavier grabbed her hand excused themselves. Judy just watched as the man who was like a father and her daughter walk off.

"Remember when you first baby sat for Santana? She was so excited that she fell to the ground trying to get to you." Xavier broke the silence. Quinn nodded and smiled, "I remember, she scraped her knees and hands." The older Lopez smiled, "She did and you felt so bad for it, but we reassured you that it wasn't your fault." Quinn just nodded not trusting herself to talk; she didn't want to say anything wrong. "This isn't your fault; it's all a part of childhood and kids get hurt all the time, even with parents and babysitters looking after them. So don't feel bad about this, we still love you." He brought her in for a hug and kissed the top of her head. Quinn relaxed into the hug she was relieved that no one blamed her.

Mirabel was sitting in the room while Santana's arm was being x-rayed. She knew that her daughter would be scared of the big machines; it's not every day that she has to have x-rays taken. Mirabel was surprised at how brave her daughter was being; the tears dried up, and replaced with a false bravado.

"You're a very brave little girl. Most kids would be crying and screaming right now," Dr. Rodriguez told her.

Santana barely smiled, "I'm a Lopez we don't get scared," she answered. She was all sorts of scared, but she doesn't want to show it. Santana really wished that Quinn was back there with her, maybe she would make her feel better. "You are definitely Xavier's child," she commented. "Your dad is the best doctor in here, you know?" she continued talking to the little girl.

"I know, he is the best daddy too," she replied. The X-ray went fine and they found out that Santana had broken her arm in two different places. Santana also learned that she was going to be in a cast for at least six weeks, which made her sad because she had to start the school year off with her arm in a cast.

An hour and a new cast later, Santana and Mirabel made their way into the waiting area. Santana showed off her bright blue cast and told everyone how brave she had been. They all left the emergency room and went back to the Lopez house. The car ride home was filled with silence. Once the car pulled into the driveway, Quinn, Natalia, Xavier, Judy and little Santana all made their way out of the SUV. Santana and Quinn went into the family room and the adults made their way to the kitchen after making sure that Santana was alright.

"How are you feeling, munchkin?" Quinn asked the girl sitting beside her. Santana looked at her with tear-filled eyes. "I don't like this cast and they saw me cry. I don't cry in front of other people, it's a sign of weakness," she answered in a small voice. Quinn put her arm around the girl. "It's okay to cry, you don't have to be brave all the time. Everybody cries, even if they say that they don't," she reassured her. Quinn saw a marker on the coffee table. She grabbed it and took the top off. Santana looked at her quizzically, wondering what she was going to do with it.

"What's that for?" she asked, this was something new to her. "I'm going to be the first one to sign your cast." She gently picked up Santana's arm and wrote a little message to her.

"That's cool." Santana watched as she signed. When Quinn was done, she put the marker back down on the table and turned to face Santana, who was reading her cast.

"I love you too Quinn and I will never forget you," Santana smiled.

Dinner was eventful and there was a lot of conversation. Santana was unusually quiet as the adults and Quinn continued talking. She really didn't know what to say, it wasn't like she could cry and scream, begging the older girl not to go away.

"Can I be excused, please?" Santana asked. Mirabel answered her daughter. "Of course you can, sweetheart. Don't you want any dessert?" Santana shook her head. "No, I just want to go lie down." She pushed her chair back and got up. Santana made a beeline to her room upstairs, leaving everyone – including Quinn – in a state of confusion.

Santana sat on her bed, holding Sir Snow Paw when she heard a knock on her door. Before she could answer, the door was slowly opening and she Quinn poked her head in.

"Is it alright if I come in?" she asked. The little girl smiled a little. "You can come in." Quinn walked in and closed the door behind her. She sat down on the bed across from Santana, who was holding her dog with her free arm.

"Why are you hiding out in your room? Don't you want to be around me?" she asked. Santana looked at her with expressive eyes. "I don't like the talk about you leaving, because I can't go with you. Who is going to come over and spend time with me and take me places?"

The older girl looked at Santana. "I'm sure that there will be someone who will do those things with you. I won't be gone forever; I'll come back and visit when I have breaks from school. "Santana looked away. "It won't be the same, because they aren't you." Quinn moved closer to the little girl until she was sitting beside her. She didn't know what to say to reassure her, it broke her heart to see Santana hurting like this.

"No one will ever be me and I'm not being replaced. Your next sitter will be a stand in for me, until I come back. We can e-mail and I'll call you and if your parents will let you, you can call me too. This isn't goodbye, it's a see you later," Quinn told her. Santana laid her head on the girls shoulder. "I don't like it and I still don't want you to go. I don't want a stand in and I don't want e-mails and calls. I want you to stay here."

Quinn didn't know what to say to that, so instead she just held Santana, not saying a word. She heard the girl's breathing evening out, signaling that she was asleep. She untangled herself from the girl and laid her down gently on the bed, carefully making sure that her injured arm wasn't in the way. She quietly got off the bed and gave one last look at the sleeping girl. She kissed her lightly on the cheek, turned the light off and left her room. She made sure to leave her door cracked open just a little, as Santana liked it.

She made her way downstairs. She truly was going to miss Santana; she had come to care about the girl a great deal. To her, Santana was like the little sister she always wanted, but couldn't have and she loved her very much. The evening ended with everyone saying good night and the promise of seeing Quinn off tomorrow.

Mirabel and Xavier locked the house up for the night and set the alarm. They made their way upstairs, but not before checking on their daughter. Xavier opened the door and saw that Santana was sound asleep. He closed the door again, leaving it open at a crack and nodded to his wife.

"Tomorrow will be a very sad day for her. I hate that she has to go through this," Mirabel told her husband as they entered their room. "I know, but Santana is a big girl, she will bounce back," he reminded his wife.

Mirabel laughed. "It won't be that easy, Quinn is Santana's big love. I don't think she will get over it that easily. This is Santana we're talking about here, the girl who threw a tantrum because Quinn went away to Cabo San Lucas for her spring break," she laughed.

Xavier shook his head at that memory; Santana was unbearable raising hell for poor Sarah. He had never seen her so out of control in his life. She was talking back and trying to find ways to get Sarah fired. It wasn't a good at all.

"I will never forget that. I will take some time off so we can make the transition easier for her." They climbed into bed. "I hope that it will work," she told him with a little uncertainty.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was very emotional you will need a tissue handy. This is one of the hardest chapters for me to write without crying. You have been warned.

Sunday morning was a gloomy and rainy one, today was the day that Santana would be saying good-bye to her Quinn. Santana was quiet and subdued as they made their way to the airport. Her parents tried to talk to her, but she just sat in the back seat, watching the trees pass by the windows. Santana's arm was itching where her cast was and it was irritating her to no end. All she wanted to do was scratch it, but she couldn't. They met the Fabray's at the entrance of the airport. Santana didn't say a word or even acknowledge Quinn's presence. This disappointed Quinn but she knew that her little munchkin was sad. She knew she had to make it a little better for her.

Quinn approached Santana cautiously, "Hey, munchkin, you're not talking to me now?" Quinn asked softly. Santana looked at her with sad eyes, "No, I just don't want you to go." She answered in a small voice. Quinn sighed. "I will be back before you know it." She tried to reassure the fragile girl, but was met with resistance. She decided to take another approach, "I got something for you." Santana perked up, "What did you get me?" She watched as Quinn pulled a small box out of her coat pocket, "Just a little something for you to remember me by."

Santana looked at the box as Quinn opened it. Inside was a silver charm bracelet with half a heart on it. She looked closely and saw that her name was engraved on it in cursive writing. Santana said nothing as Quinn put the bracelet on her wrist. The adults watched quietly as their daughters shared a private moment. They each felt like they were intruding, but they knew that this was something that was needed between them.

Santana looked at the heart and then back at Quinn, "Where is the other heart?" She asked. Quinn lifted her arm and showed the identical bracelet with the other half of the heart hanging from it. "I have one too." The heart had Quinn's name on it, "I did this so you will remember that you have half my heart, and that no matter where I am, we're never far apart." This caused Santana to smile her first real smile of the day. She felt her eyes watering, "I have something for you too." The little girl replied and handed Quinn sir Snow Paw, Quinn accepted it trying to hold back her tears.

"You're giving me Sir Snow Paw?" She asked in amazement. Sir Snow Paw was Santana's favorite stuffed animal, trying to get Santana to part with it was a miracle. Santana took that dog everywhere she went. Santana nodded, "You need Sir Snow Paw more than I do. He'll keep you from being scared and when you see him, you can think of me." She told Quinn in her best 'duh' voice. Quinn shook her head. "I can't take him, he's yours. Who is going to protect you?" Santana laughed. "I'm a big girl, I don't need protection anymore. This is Lima; nothing bad is going to happen. You're going to New York, bad things happen there." She may or may not have done a little research on New York.

"Well then, I guess I will have a fierce protector." Quinn joked causing Santana to laugh a little bit. This was a huge relief to everyone, especially Quinn. Their moment was over and everything went back to normal, well, as normal as things could get. The rest of the time was spent making small talk and eating food from one of the many restaurants that were in the concourse. The mood changed once they heard Quinn's flight being called over the PA, it was time for her to board.

It was an emotional moment for everyone, but it was an emotional moment for Santana. She hugged Quinn the best she could with her arm being in a cast, but she didn't let go. Xavier came over and pried his daughter off of Quinn. "No please don't go Quinnie. I don't want you to go, please don't go." She yelled out in anguish causing people to look at her. Xavier tried his best to restrain his daughter as Mirabel comforted Judy. Santana developed a burst of strength and broke out of her father's hold and took off running after Quinn.

"Don't leave me, Quinnie, please. Please don't go," she kept screaming as her father finally caught up with her. Quinn turned around finally allowing the tears to flow. Her heart was breaking even more for the little girl that she was leaving behind. She could hear Santana yelling and screaming for her to come back, but she just knew she couldn't.

Santana kept screaming, "Take me with you! I want to come with you please! I need you Quinnie, please come back." She sobbed into her father's chest, he tried to console her, the best he could, but he wasn't successful. They watched as Quinn's plane took off, Judy was a crying mess and watching Santana have a meltdown didn't help either. She whispered something to Mirabel and made her way over to Xavier and Santana.

"Do you mind if I talk to her?" She asked tearfully. Xavier gave her a reassuring smile and allowed her to take his place. Santana cried harder soaking Judy's shirt in her tears. "Santana, I know you are sad that Quinn is gone, I am sad too because she is my baby." She whispered softly in the little girl's ear, "Quinn would want you to be strong. It hurts now, but the hurt will go away. It's not good-bye it's a see you later. She loves you a lot, don't forget that okay." She was telling this to Santana, but to herself as well. Santana calmed a little and looked ay Judy with red, puffy eyes, "Do you think she knows that I love her too?" Judy smiled, "She knows you do, very much. What do you say we get out of here? We can go get ice cream."

Santana smiled, "I like ice cream." She took Judy's hand and walked with her over to where her parents were standing.

"Everything okay?" Mirabel asked as they approached her. She immediately gave Santana a hug. Judy finally found her voice, "Yes it is, for now but it will get better." Judy reassured them looking over at Santana. "Mama Fabray said we can go out for ice cream, if it's okay with you." Santana looked between her parents expectantly.

Mirabel looked at her daughter, "You can go out for ice cream, but be on your best behavior." She reminded her daughter. Santana hugged her mom and dad, "I will be. I am always on my best behavior." The adults laughed the mood being lightened a little bit. They exchanged hugs and walked out of the airport heading to their respective cars with Santana getting in the car with Judy.

Mirabel looked at her husband with concern, "Do you think Santana will be alright?" Xavier started the car before responding, "I think she will be okay over time. Whether she will be the same? I honestly don't know." They pulled out of the parking lot and made their way home.

That night after a fun filled day with Judy, Santana went to bed and cried herself to sleep holding the pillow that mama Fabray had given her tight. The pillow had Quinn's scent on it which helped Santana drift off to sleep. Little did she know that in New York, Quinn was holding Sir Snow Paw and crying softly, her heart breaking for the family and the special little girl she left behind.


	9. Santana's Sleepover Surprise

Santana got used to being apart from Quinn, even though, she wasn't there they did call and email each other like Quinn had said she would. Santana knew that Quinn wouldn't let her down, getting emails from Quinn was the highlight of her day, but she had yet to come home which was something that she had promised. This disappointed her but Santana chalked it up to Quinn being busy with school. After Quinn's departure she got a new baby sitter by the name of Vanessa, she was nice, and let Santana do whatever she wanted within reason of course. Santana liked her but she was no Quinn.

Santana became friends with the girl who moved in behind them, her name is Brittany, she isn't all that bright, but there was something about the girl she liked. The two of them were inseparable; you couldn't see one without the other. It was the week-end and Santana was looking forward to it, well almost she was invited to Rachel's sleepover for her birthday, she really didn't want to go but her parents made a big deal of it. It's bad enough she has to see the girl in school, and occasionally at home, but to sleep over with her was a different animal.

Santana got off the bus and rushed into the house and into her dad's office to get on the computer. Usually she has an email from Quinn when she comes home from school, it was their routine. Santana sat down in her father's chair and signed into her email account, and like clockwork there was an email from Quinn. She couldn't contain her excitement as she opened it and began to read.

_To:"Santana Lopez"munchkingirl1994_

_From: "Quinn Fabray"_

_Hey Munchkin,_

_It's the weekend and I am sure you are excited for it. Things at school have been really busy, I have a lot of studying and many papers to write, and of course that won't stop me from writing you. So are you excited for Rachel's sleepover tonight? I hope you will be on your best behavior; I will be disappointed if you're not. I love you and miss you terribly, and Sir Snow Paw says, "Hello and he misses you too."_

_Love You,_

_Quinnie_

Santana was excited to read her latest email from Quinn and the fact that the girl still loves her and misses her too. She couldn't wait to reply, the thought of keeping Quinn waiting for her email made her sad, the last thing she wanted to do was let Quinn down. Maybe if she made her response extra sweet then Quinn would probably come home.

_From: "Santana Lopez"munchkingirl1994_

_To: "Quinn Fabray" .edu_

_Hi Quinnie,_

_It's the week-end and I am so excited for it but I am not looking forward to Rachel's sleepover, but mommy said it would be mean if I didn't go. It's not going to be so bad since Kurt, Mercedes, and my new best friend Brittany will be there. She is the girl that I told you that moved into the house behind mine. Thank you for the package you sent I love my NYU sweatshirt and mug; I wear it all the time. Tell Sir Snow Paw I said hi and I miss him too. I miss you and I really want you to come home soon._

_Love,_

_Santana_

Santana hit send and waited until she received the message that her letter had been sent. She logged out of her email account and off her dads computer. Santana left the office closing the door behind her; she bumped into her mom who was walking down the hall. "I thought I would find you in here. You didn't even tell me hi." Mirabel teased her daughter. The little girl gave her mom a smile, "Sorry mommy, I forgot. I had to see if I got a new email from Quinnie." She told her mom, Santana didn't understand why her mom didn't think this was so important.

Mirabel tried not to chuckle, "I will let it slide this time, now you need to go upstairs and get packed so you can get ready to go over to Rachel's." Santana scoffed, "I don't want to go to Rachel's birthday party or sleepover. The only reason why you are making me go is because no one else is going." Santana knew she said the wrong thing when she saw her mother give her the famous Mirabel Lopez glare. "What did you just say? I know you are not talking back to me." She warned her daughter, who looked properly chastised, "Do it again and you will find yourself grounded for the week-end." Santana was about to protest but she knew better what her mom said was the law. Mirabel continued, "Now, you are going to go upstairs, pack your bag and get ready to go over to Rachel's." She replied evenly, she really didn't want to punish her daughter.

Santana knew that tone of voice and didn't want to upset her mommy even more, "Yes mommy." She said quietly and walked passed her mom; she tried not to look too put out as her mom gave a hard smack to her bottom. Mirabel watched as her daughter walked up the stairs dejectedly, she hates punishing Santana, but she was out of control with her behavior. If she wasn't talking back, she was getting into all kinds of mischief. They tried to chalk it up to her being eleven and rebelling, but she knew that it had something to do with Quinn being gone and not visiting.

Santana was in her room getting her things together to go over to Rachel's; she was dreading every moment of it. She felt bad for being sassy with her mom, but she didn't want to go, how else was she talk to Quinn. She retrieved her Cheerios overnight bag from her closet; it was a gift from Sue Sylvester. She would let Santana sit in on the practices; Santana couldn't wait until she was an official Cheerio. Santana put her belongings in her bag and zipped it up, she grabbed Rachel's gift off the table and headed downstairs to find her mom.

The trip to Rachel's was made in silence Santana was still feeling slighted from the smack on the behind she received. She just wanted to get this night over with so she could go home and spend time with her dad since he was coming back from his trip tomorrow. The car came to a stop in the Berry driveway and Santana got out of the car followed by Mirabel.

"Santana, I want you to be on your best behavior and don't even think about torturing Rachel. Whether you like it or not she is your friend. Do you understand me?" Mirabel warned her daughter. Santana looked at her mom and gave a nod of her head in understanding; her mom just wants to ruin her fun. Mirabel rung the bell and they were greeted by an overly excited Rachel.

"I'm so glad you are here Tana, it wouldn't be the same without you. Kurt and Mercedes are already here. We are just waiting for you, Brittany and Noah." She said in one breath. Mirabel couldn't understand how a girl her age could string a paragraph out of such a few words. Hiram came to the door and greeted Mirabel and Santana.

"It's good to see you again Mirabel, and you too Santana. Are you ready to have some fun tonight?" He asked the littlest Lopez. Santana gave him a big smile, she loved Rachel's dads, "I'm ready for it." She dropped her bag by the door and followed Rachel into the den where she was greeted happily by Kurt and Rachel. Mirabel just shook her head, "I don't know how you and Leroy are going to handle it. Xavier and I had so much trouble when Santana has her sleepovers."

Hiram chuckled, "We will try and keep them out of the chocolate, even if it is vegan. All the adults are outside on the patio." The two adults made their way out to the patio leaving the rest of the kids to their devices.

The party was in full swing all the kids were having a good time, along with the adults, and for once Santana didn't want to kill Rachel even if it was her birthday. Despite all the fun she was having she really missed Quinn.

"Alright everybody gather round, it's time to sing happy birthday to Rachel." Leroy's voice called out to everyone. The kids let out a loud scream of "Yes" as they made their way to the kitchen. Rachel sat in the chair at the head of the table and all her friends sat down beside her, but there was one seat that she wouldn't let anyone sit in because it was reserved. "Tana, I want you to come sit beside me." She requested this caused Santana to look at her like she grew two heads. Santana wanted to say something but she received a glare from her mom. She got up from the chair next to Brittany and moved to the chair next to Rachel. The lights were turned off and Hiram brought in a cake with the number eleven in candles. Everyone started singing happy birthday at the top of their lungs, including Santana.

The party was winding down and Santana couldn't be happier, there was only so much singing and Barbra Streisand she could take. She snuck out to the patio and sat down in one of the lounge chairs. The sun was setting painting the sky in different shades of purple, pink, and orange it was very peaceful. Santana wondered if Quinn was looking at the same sunset as her or even if she could see the sunset at all.

"I thought I would find you out here." A soft voice pulled Santana out of her thoughts.

Santana looked up at her intruder, "I just needed to get away from the crazy that is Rachel and Kurt. I love Kurt but when he and Rachel get together, they are out of control."

Brittany sat down in the chair next to her friend, "I thought it was because you missed Quinn. Lord Tubbington told me you were sad because she didn't come home yet."

Santana had to hand it to Brittany she may not be book smart, but when it comes down to people she is really smart. She sees things differently than everyone else does; instead of black and white she sees rainbows and unicorns. Santana learned early enough not to question it and just went along even if it didn't make sense.

"Yeah, she promised three times that she would come home and she hasn't. I guess she doesn't love us like we love her." Santana said the last part softly. Brittany heard it, "Maybe Quinn got abducted by aliens and they wiped her memory." She said like it was the most natural thing in the world. Brittany gave her friend a hug, "Cheer up Tana she will be back before you know it. Let's go have fun." Santana broke the hug and allowed Brittany to pull her out of the chair and back inside.

"I was looking for the two of you; Noah is being a royal pain." Mercedes said a little annoyed. Santana shook her head, "Noah is always a royal pain hopefully he will go home soon."

The rest of the night went off without a hitch, Santana didn't end up killing Rachel, and they were actually getting along. They were getting ready for bed, when they heard a phone ring; Hiram answered it and called for Santana. Santana looked in confusion as she was being summoned, no one would call her especially not her parents.

Santana made her way into the kitchen and was met with a big smile by Hiram, "I think you would want to take this phone call." He handed her the phone. Santana took the phone wearily, "Hello?" She answered softly.

"Hey munchkin! You didn't think I would forget to call you did you?" Quinn's voice fluttered through the line causing Santana to smile.

"Quinnie! I am so happy you called. I miss you a lot." She told her honestly.

Quinn chuckled lightly, "I miss you too munchkin, it's been really busy here, I hardly have time to do much. That isn't going to stop me from contacting you. I want you to know that I love you to the moon and back."

Santana tried to hold back the tears, "I love you to the moon and back too." Santana replied, "Please come home soon." She added softly before handing the phone back to Hiram who had come back in.

"Are you okay Santana?" Hiram asked the little girl he thought of like a second daughter. Santana gave him a sad smile, "I'm okay Mr. Hiram. I just want to go to sleep." She said dejectedly and headed back into the den with her friends. She avoided looking at her friends and went to her sleeping bag that was next to Brittany's and lay down. Brittany took this as her signal to go to her. She lay down next to her friend and wrapped her in her embrace. No one said a word as they continued getting ready for bed.


	10. Santana Gets a Phone Call

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We skipped ahead a few years. Santana is now 17 about turn 18, let the fun begin :-)

_7 Years Later…._

At twenty-five, Quinn Fabray was a very well-known up-and-coming psychologist in New York. It wasn't easy, but after all her hard work and studying it really paid off in the end, and that made her happy. She graduated from NYU as the Graduate School of Arts & Science's valedictorian. Her mom was so proud of her and even came to her graduation. Over dinner, her mom had filled her in on the latest in Lima, and hardly mentioned Santana. Her mother only told her that she was growing up so fast and was a total beauty, that that shy little girl had turned into a blossoming young woman. Quinn felt bad for not visiting as she had promised, but she did call and email Santana as she had said she would. As Santana grew older, the conversations became less and less frequent until Santana stopped talking to her altogether. Quinn still kept in contact with Mama Lopez and Daddy Lopez, though, and they kept her informed about all things Santana. It disappointed her that she didn't hear from the girl herself.

Quinn was sitting in her office in her apartment, enjoying the silence. She had a day off and she intended to catch up on her e-mails and maybe work out. Her work life turned out to be more hectic than her life in college. Dealing with troubled kids day in and day out can be so tiring, but it's rewarding at the same time because it gives her a chance to help kids. Quinn made a mental note to thank Santana for preparing her for working with kids. Quinn logged into her e-mail account and noticed she had an e-mail from Mirabel Lopez. She clicked on it without hesitation.

_Quinn,_

_I haven't heard from you in a while, I hope you're not working too hard. Your mother is constantly singing your praise, she is very proud of you. Xavier and I are very proud of you as well. As you know, Santana's 18th birthday is in a few weeks and we're planning a party for her. I was wondering if you would be able to make it, to surprise her. Plus, it will give us a chance to see you and to properly catch up. Let me know if you can make that happen, I'm sure she would love to see her Quinnie._

_Love,_

_Mama Lopez_

Quinn re-read the e-mail a couple of times; she looked at the calendar and noticed that the 17th of October was marked for Santana's birthday. That is one day that she had committed to memory, it pained her that she had missed a lot of Santana's milestones, but she figured she could make up for it one day. She turned off her computer and got up from the chair making her way into the kitchen to grab herself something to eat. Quinn was headed to the refrigerator when she heard her phone chirping.

"Hello?" She answered the phone with an enthusiasm she really wasn't feeling. She was praying to whoever was listening that it wasn't a patient's parent. "What's up Quinn?" Amber's voice came on over the line. Quinn went back to figuring out what she was going to eat. "Nothing much, just enjoying a much needed day off. What's up with you? How are things in Lima?" she asked as she pulled out some eggs and bacon from the refrigerator.

Amber chuckled. "Same old, same old. When are you bringing you ass back for a visit? Or are you too New York for a small town like Lima?" She asked mockingly.

Quinn put everything on the counter and pulled out a frying pan, placing it on the stove, "I'm not too New York for Lima. As a matter of fact, I'm thinking about visiting in a few weeks, I think it's time," she commented as she opened the package of bacon and placed it in the heated pan, causing it to sizzle.

"Your visit doesn't happen to coincide with a certain person's birthday does it?" Amber asked, feigning innocence. Quinn rolled her eyes. "No, I just want to come and visit; Santana's birthday is just an added bonus. Anyway, what's happening in the world of Lima?" she asked, changing the subject.

Amber used that as her opening, "If you must know, Santana is the new Cheerios captain – well, co-captain. She takes the title very seriously and she makes everyone's life a living hell, especially my cousin Rachel. Rachel said that she's become an uber-bitch, and I agree. She isn't the same sweet Santana that we all knew; I think Sue has corrupted her. It's funny because she reminds me of you." Amber could practically here Quinn rolling her eyes, but continued anyways, "I'm getting married to Jonathan next year; you will definitely have to attend my wedding." Amber mentioned that last part casually.

Quinn was honestly trying to pay attention, but the comment about Santana being a bitch surprised her. If she remembered correctly, Santana wasn't afraid to speak her mind, but she was hardly ever intentionally rude, unless your name was Sam. She went about making her breakfast, but she did hear Amber's news. "Congratulations! I'm happy for you; you definitely need to send me an invite. I want to be the maid of honor," she demanded.

Amber laughed, "For sure, you're my bestie so you get top priority. So tell me about your love life, are you still dating that hot girl that I met when I came to visit last month? Noelia?" she asked curiously.

Quinn finished plating her breakfast. "Not anymore, she couldn't decide if she wanted me or her ex, Marcus. So I'm pretty much single, but I do have a dinner date tonight with someone else."

Amber was intrigued, "Girl, you are going to have to give me details about this one. Maybe you can bring her with you, you know, when you come to visit," Amber joked.

Quinn laughed. "That's not going to happen; it's too soon for all of that. Maybe a little later if things get serious enough," she replied, taking another bite. She didn't see Melissa as being something really serious.

"Whatever, bitch, I gotta go. I have to get my hair done for the Hospital gala tonight, don't be a stranger," Amber commented before hanging up the phone.

Quinn put her phone down on the counter and continued eating her breakfast. She couldn't believe that her oldest, best friend is getting married. That her friend, whose motto was to "never say no" was actually settling down. Of course she was happy for her, but she was surprised. Quinn always thought that she would be settled down with someone special and starting a life together, unfortunately, the universe had other plans. Her mind drifted to Santana and what Amber had said. Quinn was still trying to figure out how that sweet little girl she once knew grew up and turned into such a bitch. Her mom said that Santana had become a little too hard to handle, but she didn't know that it was that bad. She finished her breakfast and began cleaning up the kitchen.

Quinn went into her room and fell on the bed, she was supposed to get ready to work out, but since she ate all that food her body was saying otherwise. She looked over on the opposite side of her bed and saw Sir Snow Paw looking at her. Quinn had kept him by her side through college and graduate school; he was a security blanket and a great reminder of Santana. She grabbed Sir Snow Paw, and sat him on her chest, her mind drifted off to a memory of Santana when she first came to visit with Sir Snow Paw.

_~Flashback~_

_Quinn is sitting in her room studying when she hears a light knock on her door. She smiles, knowing who it is immediately, but she decides to have a little fun with the person on the other side of the door._

" _Who is it?" Quinn asks._

" _It's me, Santana," a young voice comes floating through the door._

_Quinn laughs softly. "I don't know anyone named Santana."_

_Quinn can just imagine Santana standing there with her arms crossed and a pout. She thinks it's the cutest thing ever. She looks up from her books and sees a very sad looking girl in front of her._

" _You know me, Quinnie, you baby sit me," Santana tells her in a soft voice._

_Quinn turns and faces her. "I was just playing around with you, munchkin. And besides, didn't your mommy and daddy tell you not to open the door unless someone says "Come in"?"_

_Santana just nods, holding on to her stuffed dog._

" _I got tired of waiting for you to say come in," she smiles._

" _What's up, munchkin?" Quinn pats her knee for Santana to sit._

_Santana climbs in Quinn's lap happily. "Mommy is visiting your mommy and daddy is at the hospital. So here I am," she explains._

" _Is that Sir Snow Paw you're holding?" Quinn asks the little girl._

" _Yes, he wanted to come see you too, he misses you." She brings the dog up to Quinn's cheek to kiss her._

_She smiles. "Well, I miss Sir Snow Paw too."_

_She kisses the top of the dogs head and then Santana's. Santana grins and blushes._

" _Quinn, can I ask you a question?"_

_Quinn smiles. "Of course you can, munchkin."_

" _Why do you hang out with Sam all the time? Is it because you don't want to be around me?" she asks._

_Quinn looks at the girl in front of her. "No, I love being around you, it's the best part of my day. Sam is my boyfriend and we do things together, like going to the movies and studying. It's what boyfriends and girlfriends do," she explains._

_Santana looks at her. "But boys are yucky and they have cooties and Sam is a boy so he has cooties too." She wrinkles her little nose up at that._

" _When you grow older, you'll feel differently. Especially if you meet someone that makes you feel butterflies in your tummy."_

_She starts tickling the little girl. Santana squeals with laughter trying to get away, but Quinn won't let her. Finally, Quinn stops and the laughter dies down. Santana looks at her again._

" _What if I already met someone who gives me butterflies in my tummy?" she asks._

" _Then that means that person is very special," Quinn replies._

_Santana smiles shyly. "Then you're very special, Quinnie."_

_She gives her a hug._

_~End Flashback~_

Quinn got up from her bed, Sir Snow Paw in hand, made her way to her office and turned her computer on. She looked up Expedia and found the perfect flight to Ohio. She booked the flight immediately and got up from the computer, still holding on to Sir Snow Paw. He was cute and cuddly – it was no wonder Santana had carried him around so much. She grabbed her phone from the desk and dialed the all too familiar number; it rang a couple of times until someone finally picked it up.

"Hello?" A voice Quinn recognized all too well, but she sounded so grown up. She didn't want to seem like a stalker, so she decided to speak up, "Hi, Munchkin, I mean Santana" Quinn replied back with a little hesitation, she didn't know how the girl on the other line would react. Santana was taken aback by the voice on the line when she answered; she couldn't believe that after seven years Quinn had the nerve to call. Santana was going through a cycle of emotions she was happy, sad, angry and most importantly hurt. She didn't understand how Quinn could call the house after not speaking to her for years.

"You finally decided to call after all these years, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Santana asked, her bitchy demeanor taking over.

Quinn was taken aback by this sudden change. "I wanted to speak to mom about some things, is she there?" she asked, trying to keep her voice even.

Santana let out a little huff before calling for her mother. Quinn couldn't believe how grown up Santana had sounded. Quinn tried not to listen to the conversation that was taking place on the other line.

Mirabel gave her daughter a confused look, not many people would call the house, "Who is it Santana?" She asked as she took the phone.

Santana rolled her eyes, "Its Quinn." Santana replied flatly, she didn't want to show any emotion. Mirabel raised an eyebrow at her daughters reaction she thought that Santana would be happy to talk to Quinn or at least she thought she would be happy, "And you didn't want to talk to her? You used to break your neck trying to get to the phone," the older woman commented.

Quinn couldn't help but smile at what Mirabel said, because it was true. She used to love hearing Santana talk about her day and the things that were happening in her life with her friends. Hearing her voice made her realize that she missed the girl a great deal, but she wasn't prepared for the storm that was possibly brewing on the horizon.

Santana just looked at her mom before replying loud enough for Quinn to hear, "I'm not a little girl anymore, mom, I grew up," Santana replied before walking out of the kitchen.

Mirabel watched as her only child walked out of the kitchen, she didn't realize that Quinn calling would have an effect on her. Santana's behavior had went from bad to worse as the years went on, she and Xavier didn't know that Quinn was the cause of Santana's change.

"Quinn, it's so good to talk to you. I wasn't expecting you to call," Mirabel told the girl, they usually chat through email.

Quinn laughed softly. "Well, I wanted to tell you the news over the phone and not through e-mail. I will be in town in time for Santana's birthday," she told the older woman.

Mirabel couldn't hide her excitement, "That is so great! Santana won't know what's happening to her. So when do you get here?" she asked.

"I fly in October 10th at 2:15 pm. I have to call my mom and let her know, so she can come and pick me up from the airport." Quinn was more than a little excited about her trip.

"I'm sure your mom will be happy when you tell her you are coming. She sure does miss you a lot, she has practically adopted Santana," Mirabel told her honestly. She talks to Judy every day and she could tell that Judy missed her daughter a lot.

Quinn laughed; her mother had always adored Santana, from the first time she saw her. The little girl could charm her mother with just one smile. "I can only imagine. Santana didn't seem very happy to hear me, she was kind of upset." She couldn't help but point out.

Mirabel sighed. "She's at that age now, you know? She has changed a lot and grew up quite a bit, but you will get a chance to see that when you come for a visit."

Quinn still wasn't reassured, "I'm just a little worried considering I haven't been home since I left all those years ago." The last thing she wanted was to come back to an angry Santana.

Mirabel tried again to make her feel better, "It will be alright, Santana loves you and I'm sure once she sees you, she won't be mad anymore," She really hoped that was the case I don't think they could endure anymore of hurricane Santana.

Quinn chuckled a little, "Thanks, Mama Lopez. I have to get going now, but I will talk to you again before I come." There was a pause before she continued, "Tell Santana that I miss her."

The older Lopez woman laughed, "Sounds like a plan. Bye." Mirabel ended the conversation and hung up. She put the phone on the counter and walked out of the kitchen only to see Santana heading towards the door.

"Santana?" she called after her daughter, but Santana was already out the door.


	11. Santana's Phone Call Aftermath

Santana could hear her mom calling after her, but she couldn't face her, not right now especially since she talked to Quinn. The Quinn that left her years ago and never came back, the Quinn that broke so many promises, and the Quinn who broke her heart in more ways than one. She was doing fine but here comes Quinn to shake up her world again. Santana was angry, and in her mind she felt that she had every right to be. She made her way to Brittany's house. Brittany was her best friend; they became friends at her mother's urging a little while after Quinn left. To her, Brittany was a bit weird and lived in a world of her own, but somehow she understood her and never judged her whereas others did. It also didn't help that she had blonde hair like Quinn's, which was one of the reasons why she took a liking to the girl. Santana was about to knock on the door when it was opened by Mrs. Pierce she looked like an older version of Brittany and Santana loved her to death.

"Come on in, Santana, Brittany's upstairs," Mrs. Pierce told the girl pulling her into her arms giving her a big hug. Santana returned the hug with a smile, "Thanks Ms. Michelle. My dad wanted to make sure that you and Mr. Alex would be attending the hospital gala tonight." She asked breaking the hug. Michelle stepped back from the girl in front of her, "Of course we will be there tonight, anything to support the hospital and your father." Michelle gave Santana a little smile. "Don't let me hold you up, Brittany is upstairs in her room, I am sure she will happy to see you."

Santana smiled and headed up the stairs to her best friends room. Michelle loved Santana from the first day she met her; the way she bonded with Brittany had been a blessing. She always stood up for Brittany when other people would make fun of her and call her names for being different. She knew that Brittany may not be the brightest crayon in the box, but her daughter viewed the world differently. Santana really didn't really care at all she went along with it and not thinking twice about.

Santana didn't bother knocking on Brittany's opened it like she always did. She saw Brittany on the bed, reading a story to Lord Tubbington. Santana took her jacket off and put it on the back of the chair in front of the desk before sitting down next to her friend. "Hey, Britt Britt," Santana greeted the girl. Brittany put her book down and Lord Tubbington jumped off the bed. "Hey, Santana. I didn't know you were coming by today. I thought you were helping your mom." Brittany stated nonchalantly. Santana shrugged her shoulders, "Correction, I was helping my mom, but she will be alright without me." Brittany studied Santana; she knew that something was wrong with her friend. "Why aren't you helping anymore? Did you burn something?" Brittany asked, it was a simple question.

Santana let out a small sigh, "No, Britts, I didn't burn anything, but I might as well have. There was a phone call today at the house." She leaned against the head board. Brittany looked at her friend, "Well who called?" She asked quizzically maneuvering her body so that she is facing Santana. Santana took a minute to compose her answer, "Quinn called the house today to talk to my mom." Brittany's eyebrows rose a little, "You mean your babysitter Quinn? The one you used to talk to all the time when we were younger?" Santana nodded her head, "Yeah, that Quinn. It was weird hearing her voice after all these years, you know? She still sounds the same, just hotter," Santana explained to her friend. Brittany always knew that Santana had a crush on her baby sitter, from the moment they met she kept going on and on about her. She would get excited whenever she would get a phone call or an e-mail from the other girl, but she noticed that as Santana got older, she changed. Brittany figured that it had something to do with Quinn not talking to her anymore.

Brittany was now curious, "Did you talk to her at all?" Santana started playing with Brittany's pillow, "I just said hello and asked her why she called. She didn't ask how I was doing, all she said was that she wanted to speak to my mom," Santana shrugged. Brittany took the pillow out of Santana's hand and put her hand in hers interlocking their fingers. "That's good right? You could have hung up on her, but that would be rude." Santana shrugged her shoulders again, "I know, but I didn't want to be a total bitch to her, you know? Sure, she broke a promise, but she's still Quinn." They sat in silence for a little while, just enjoying each other's company. Santana treasured moments like these. She found the lack of pressure refreshing. Brittany was the only person who got to see this side of her; to everyone else she was an ice queen who didn't care about anyone but herself, but they knew that Brittany was her only exception.

"Do you want to pop in some Sweet Valley High and get our sweet lady kisses on?" Brittany asked, trying to find a way to cheer Santana up. Santana laughed at her friend's enthusiasm. "Britt, we can't get our sweet lady kisses on, you're with Mike, remember? I thought we learned our lesson when you were with Wheels," she reminded her. It wasn't like she didn't want to get her mack on, but ever since she confessed her love to the other girl and was rejected, things between them had changed. Sure, they were still close and did the things that they used to do minus the kisses and the intimate moments, but it just didn't feel the same. Brittany frowned. "I just want to make you feel better, Santana, and I know how much you used to love my kisses."

Santana sighed. "We just can't, Britt it's not fair to Mike and it's not fair to me." She really hoped her friend understood. Brittany finally let it go; she didn't want to make Santana even more upset than she already was. Santana felt so torn; she didn't want to hurt her friend's feelings, but she couldn't put herself back in that position anymore. "I know what we can do; we can have a Disney movie marathon and eat pizza!" Brittany exclaimed. Santana seemed to perk up at that idea. "I can get down with that." Pizza was one of Santana's weaknesses next to breadstix. Brittany got off the bed and went to grab the phone and the menu to the local pizza place. She handed it to her friend so she could call. Santana ordered the pizza. Brittany popped a movie into the DVD player and climbed back on the bed next to Santana. "What movie did you put in?" Santana asked, linking her pinky with Brittany's. Brittany smiled and laid her head on her friends shoulder. _"The Little Mermaid_. It's one of my favorite movies," Brittany told her.

The movie started and Brittany totally missed the sad expression on her friend's face. The Little Mermaid was her and Quinn's movie, they watched it every time she came over to baby sit her. It was their private little moment.

_**Flashback**_

_Santana was suffering from the chicken pox and was bored out of her mind; she couldn't go outside and play with her friends and they couldn't come over to visit. Her parents had been great company, but she wanted to play with Kurt and Mercedes. She started coloring in her coloring book when someone clearing their throat caught her attention. Santana looked up and saw Quinn standing there with a copy of The Little Mermaid._

" _Hey, munchkin, I heard you were sick. Your parents called a very special nurse to keep you company," she told the little girl sitting in the bed._

_Santana perked up and smiled widely."Quinnie, you're here! But you shouldn't be here, because you will get sick too." Santana's face fell._

_Quinn put the movie into the DVD player and turned it on before making her way back to the bed. She sat down next to Santana who had already made room for her on the bed._

" _I already had the chicken pox when I was around your age. You can't get them again once you had them, so I can get all the Santana hugs and cuddles I want," she reassured the little girl._ _Santana couldn't help but smile. They watched the movie and sang along to all the songs, but there was one song in particular that Santana loved the most "Kiss the Girl". It was a sweet moment between Eric and Ariel._

" _Quinnie? Have you ever kissed a girl?" she asked with curiosity._

_Quinn looked at her, confusion clearly written all over her face. Santana saw this and panic started to rise inside of her, as if she asked the wrong question and now Quinn was upset with her._

" _Santana, I don't think that's an appropriate thing to talk about to you, you're only ten. What do you know about kissing girls?" she asked._

_Santana looked at her. "Well, Rachel has two daddies and they kiss sometimes. So if they can kiss, girls can kiss too, right?" she asked._

_Quinn was torn; she didn't know whether she should answer the question or deflect it. Yes, she kissed a girl once or twice because she had wanted to see what it was like. She really didn't want to get into this conversation with Santana because she didn't want the little girl telling her parents she told her about girls kissing girls._

" _Shouldn't you talk to your mom and dad about this? I don't think they will like me talking to you about this stuff," she told her._

_Santana wasn't about to give up. "Mommy and Daddy said love is love and who people kiss is their business."_

" _No, I haven't kissed a girl," she lied._

" _Do you think kissing girls is bad?" Santana asked again._

_Quinn shook her head, "No, kissing girls isn't bad. It's just some people don't like that kind of stuff, they think it's wrong." She told her._

" _I like when you give me kisses." Santana smiled and went back to watching the movie._

_**End Flashback**_

Santana was so deep in thought that she didn't realize the movie was over and there was pizza in front of them. Brittany nudged her a little, trying to catch her attention, "Santana, the movie is over and the pizza is here." She tried again, finally bringing Santana out of her thoughts. Santana shook her head and took a slice of pizza out of the box that was open in front of her, "Thanks, Britt. So what movie are we watching next?" she asked as she took a bite of her pizza.

Brittany broke out in a Cheshire cat type smile, " _Oliver and Company"._ It's one of Lord Tubbington's favorites, plus the cats on the movie talk to him," she replied happily. Santana never really cared for _Oliver and Company_ ; to her it was just as cheesy as _Lady and the Tramp_. The meatball scene was cute, though. She wondered what Quinn was doing at this very moment.


	12. Quinn Has A Date

Quinn was preparing for her date with Melissa, which she wasn't looking forward to, but Daniel made her sound so awesome. She knew Daniel meant well, but in all honesty she really wasn't looking to date again, she just wanted time to herself, but she didn't want to disappoint Daniel after all the trouble he went through to set it up. They decided to meet at Applebees, which was a casual and public place for their first meeting, so Quinn decided to go casual with a pair of black boot cut jeans and a white turtleneck. She got dressed and fixed herself up, giving herself a once over in the mirror before deciding she looked good and was ready to go. Quinn walked out of her apartment, but not before setting the alarm. Once the alarm was set, she closed the door and locked it. She made her way out of her building and down the stairs to hail a cab. She got inside and told the cab driver where to go. It was going to take a while for her to get to her destination. Quinn really hoped that Melissa was descent and not at all crazy.

Quinn thought about her semi-conversation with Santana – she couldn't believe how grown up she had sounded over the phone. That little soft, squeaky voice she was familiar with was gone and in its place she had found a warm, raspy voice. She could only imagine what she would look like now. She was curious if she still changed a lot. She felt bad for missing out on all things Santana; hopefully her visit would help make up for it. The cab stopped in front of her destination. She paid and stepped out into the chilly night air. Quinn made her way to the restaurant and was greeted by Melissa. To say she was a knock-out was an understatement. Melissa had raven haired tresses in soft waves that fell past her shoulders, a caramel skin complexion that was just flawless and dark brown eyes. She looked a little like Naya Rivera; she was standing in front of a goddess. Quinn was taken aback by this beauty that was standing in front of her.

Melissa reached out her hand to the woman in front of her, "You must be Quinn, it's so good to finally meet you. Daniel spoke very highly of you; it's almost as if he has a little crush on you." Quinn shook her hand in return, "It's nice to finally meet you too, and yes Daniel has spoken very highly of you as well." She gave the woman in front of her a dazzling smile. The hostess met them in the hall and led them to their cozy table in the corner, and hostess handed them both their menus and told them their waiter would be with them in a moment. Melissa immediately started conversation, "So, how did you get into the world of child psychology? I thought you would have been a lawyer or something." Melissa felt it was best to start somewhere. Quinn gave a small smile, "I've always been curious about the mind of children and adolescents. So I decided to make it a career." That was a very true statement, she always loved kids, but there was one kid she loved the most.

Quinn couldn't take her eyes off of the beauty in front of her, she was mesmerized by her eyes, and looking at Melissa she could tell she was feeling the same way as well. Melissa wanted to get to know more about Quinn. "What's it like working with children? Do you have any experience with them?" She asked casually.

Quinn smiled, remembering Santana, "I used to baby sit a lot when I was in high school. It's what inspired me to work with children." Melissa smiled, "I admire that about people who work with children, they seem like they are a handful. I honestly don't have the patience to deal with children all day. That is why I chose accounting, nothing but numbers," she laughed.

The waiter came and took their orders, and like that he was gone. Melissa and Quinn were alone again, but Quinn couldn't keep herself from stealing glances at Melissa, she looked like Naya Rivera, but she also reminded her of someone else too but she couldn't figure out who. The two women continued making small talk until their food had arrived. Quinn found out that Melissa is a photographer in her spare time, and she loves Broadway musicals and her favorite at the moment is Wicked.

Melissa put her fork down, "You mentioned that you used to baby sit a lot when you were in high school. Did you have baby sit a lot of children or was there only one."

Quinn cleared her throat, "I only baby sat for one child, but if she had play dates I would watch them too." She answered. Melissa's curiosity got the best of her, "So does this child have a name?" Quinn took a sip of her water, "Her name is Santana, but she isn't a little girl anymore. She is quite grown up from what I've heard." She replied leaving it at that.

"What are you doing this Thursday?" Melissa asked, taking a bite of her pasta.

Quinn looked thoughtful, "I am going out of town that day. Did you have something that you wanted to do?" Melissa smiled. "Someone gave me two tickets to  _Wicked_  and I didn't want to go by myself." Quinn had always wanted to see  _Wicked,_  but with her busy work schedule she had never found the time to do anything.

"How about a rain check?" Quinn asked. Melissa gave her a dazzling smile, "I'm going to hold you to that, Fabray. So where are you going?" she asked with curiosity. Quinn smiled sheepishly, "I'm going back home for two weeks. I haven't been home since I graduated high school," Quinn told her. It was something that she regretted to this day.

"You are so bad," Melissa joked. Quinn smiled sadly. "I feel bad about it, though, I broke a promise to a lady. Now it's time to make up for it." Melissa gave her a faint smile. "I'm sure you will, just work that charm and all will be forgiven."

"I really hope it does, she seemed pretty angry when I talked to her on the phone for a second," she confided in the other woman.

"Just make it up to her while you're there. Everything will be fine, just make sure you come back in one piece," she teased.

Quinn couldn't help but laugh. "I'll come back in one piece; I don't think she's that bad. Besides, we have a date for  _Wicked_."

Dinner was over and they didn't have a dessert. They made plans for after Quinn's return to New York. Melissa gave Quinn a chaste kiss on the lips and helped her get into her cab. Quinn let out a breath that she hadn't known she was holding. It hadn't as bad as she thought it would.

The cab stopped in front of her apartment building. She paid and got out, pulling her jacket tighter. Once she was inside, she turned off her alarm, put her jacket on the coat rack and dropped her shoes at the door. She made her way to her room and undressed, putting on her night clothes and climbing in the bed, holding Sir Snow Paw as she fell into a dreamless slumber.


	13. Santana and Quinn Meet Again

It was a cold and rainy day when Quinn arrived at JFK on Thursday; she was both excited and nervous. She got out of the cab and grabbed her suitcases from the cab driver. Quinn checked in and went through security to the terminal. She waited patiently as she waited for the plane to board, there weren't a lot of people, but then again not than many people fly from New York to Ohio. She pulled out her Kindle and started to read but she had a hard time concentrating, she will be seeing Santana again for the first time in years. The last time she saw her was at the airport in Ohio.

_7 Years Ago….._

_Quinn was waiting for her flight to start boarding with her mom and the Lopez's. It was a gloomy and rainy day and also a day of sadness. Quinn was leaving for college leaving a very sad and distraught Santana behind. Her heart was breaking; this was the first time she'd be away from her family and friends, but mainly from Santana. Santana was the little girl who crept into her heart at the age of six, who looked up to her, and admired her. She knew that the girl was quite taken with her and she thought it was the cutest thing ever. Quinn made her way over to Santana; she knew the little girl was purposely avoiding her._

_Quinn approached Santana cautiously, "Hey, munchkin, you're not talking to me now?" Quinn asked softly. Santana looked at her with sad eyes, "No, I just don't want you to go." She answered in a small voice. Quinn sighed. "I will be back before you know it." She tried to reassure the fragile girl, but was met with resistance. She decided to take another approach, "I got something for you." Santana perked up, "What did you get me?" She watched as Quinn pulled a small box out of her coat pocket, "Just a little something for you to remember me by."_

_Santana looked at the box as Quinn opened it. Inside was a silver charm bracelet with half a heart on it. She looked closely and saw that her name was engraved on it in cursive writing. Santana said nothing as Quinn put the bracelet on her wrist. The adults watched quietly as their daughters shared a private moment. They each felt like they were intruding, but they knew that this was something that was needed between them._

_Santana looked at the heart and then back at Quinn, "Where is the other heart?" She asked. Quinn lifted her arm and showed the identical bracelet with the other half of the heart hanging from it. "I have one too." The heart had Quinn's name on it, "I did this so you will remember that you have half my heart, and that no matter where I am, we're never far apart." This caused Santana to smile her first real smile of the day. She felt her eyes watering, "I have something for you too." The little girl replied and handed Quinn sir Snow Paw, Quinn accepted it trying to hold back her tears._

_"You're giving me Sir Snow Paw?" She asked in amazement. Sir Snow Paw was Santana's favorite stuffed animal, trying to get Santana to part with it was a miracle. Santana took that dog everywhere she went. Santana nodded, "You need Sir Snow Paw more than I do. He'll keep you from being scared and when you see him, you can think of me." She told Quinn in her best 'duh' voice. Quinn shook her head. "I can't take him, he's yours. Who is going to protect you?" Santana laughed. "I'm a big girl, I don't need protection anymore. This is Lima; nothing bad is going to happen. You're going to New York, bad things happen there." She may or may not have done a little research on New York._

_"Well then, I guess I will have a fierce protector." Quinn joked causing Santana to laugh a little bit. This was a huge relief to everyone, especially Quinn. Their moment was over and everything went back to normal, well, as normal as things could get. The rest of the time was spent making small talk and eating food from one of the many restaurants that were in the concourse. The mood changed once they heard Quinn's flight being called over the PA, it was time for her to board._

_It was an emotional moment for everyone, but it was an emotional moment for Santana. She hugged Quinn the best she could with her arm being in a cast, but she didn't let go. Xavier came over and pried his daughter off of Quinn. "No please don't go Quinnie. I don't want you to go, please don't go." She yelled out in anguish causing people to look at her. Xavier tried his best to restrain his daughter as Mirabel comforted Judy. Santana developed a burst of strength and broke out of her father's hold and took off running after Quinn._

_"Don't leave me, Quinnie, please. Please don't go," she kept screaming as her father finally caught up with her. Quinn turned around finally allowing the tears to flow. Her heart was breaking even more for the little girl that she was leaving behind. She could hear Santana yelling and screaming for her to come back, but she just knew she couldn't._

Quinn was brought out of her thoughts when she heard the flight to Ohio being called. She put her Kindle back in her bag and made her way towards the gate. With a sigh she walked down the terminal and boarded the plane. She was happy that she didn't have anyone sitting beside her, she put her seatbelt on and pulled her Kindle back out. She was praying to the heavens that the flight wouldn't take that long.

_XOXOXOXOXOXO_

Santana was in the auditorium rehearsing  _"A Boy Like That/I Have Love"_  with Rachel. She hadn't planned on trying out for the part of Anita, but Brittany had encouraged her to, since Brittany thought she looked like a young Rita Moreno. She protested and fought, but eventually, she gave in and rocked her audition in true Santana Lopez style. Now she is up here, singing a duet with Rachel Berry of all people, the one person who drove her insane. The music ended and Artie made his way up to the stage after the number.

"Rachel and Santana, that was great. You two will definitely bring down the house on opening night." He told the duo enthusiastically, this was going to be his best work ever.

Rachel smiled, "Of course I did Artie, I have been a huge fan of  _West Side Story_  since I was a little girl. It's one of my favorites outside of  _Funny Girl_  of course. Besides, Maria is just the part I need to help me get on Broadway."

Santana rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, "Oh please, Berry, and it's just a school play. It's not as if relevant people will be here. It's a high school play put on by Glee since other people in the school think its lame." She was clearly getting annoyed.

Rachel huffed in frustration, "That's because these people don't believe in the arts, especially the Cheerios coach, who has tried numerous times to keep the show from going on," Rachel replied.

Santana did not look amuses, "Whatever Berry." Santana looked toward Artie. "Are we done here?"

Artie shook his head, "We have to run through  _America_  and then you can go. Now go join the others and wait for your queue." He wheeled off the stage.

Rachel walked off the stage and Santana took her mark next to Puck, who was playing Bernardo. She really wished someone else would have played the role. Once the dialogue was complete, it was time for Santana to sing, which she was grateful for.

" _Puerto Rico, my heart's devotion, let it sink back in the ocean."_

Santana started singing, channeling her inner Rita Moreno. Little did everyone know that  _West Side Story_  was one of her favorite musicals, but she wasn't going to let Rachel know. She knew that the annoying girl would never let her live it down.

" _Always the hurricanes blowing, always the population growing," she continued, mimicking a pregnant belly with her hands._

" _And the money owing, and the sunlight streaming."_

Santana started dancing around the stage while the others looked on in appreciation.

" _And the natives steaming. I like the Island Manhattan."_  She made her way over to Tina.

" _I know you do,"_ the other girl agreed.

They ran through  _America_ once and then rehearsal was over. Tina made her way over to Santana as she walked away from the stage.

"That was really good, Tana, you're going to bring the house down tomorrow," Tina complimented the other girl.

Santana smiled. "Thanks girl Chang, you rocked too. I wonder if we can actually upstage Yentl, that would be so funny.

"This is Rachel we're talking about; she will make sure no one's star shines brighter than hers." Tina mused softly. The two girls walked out of the auditorium and into the now empty hallways of the school. Santana didn't expect to become friends again with Tina in high school. They used to be really close in middle school, even though the other girl was a grade below her. Now they just run in different circles – Tina is no longer goth, but a major gleek and Santana, well, she is a Cheerio and has a reputation to keep up.

"Tina, this is me we're talking about and one way or another I always come out on top. So, what are you doing after rehearsal?" Santana asked her friend.

"I have to baby sit my little sister and then Artie is coming over. We're going to watch some movies together. You can come over if you want to, you know my little sister loves her some Tana." Tina shoved her lightly with her shoulder.

"I love her too, but I don't want to get in the way of your movie make out session with Stumbles McCripple pants." Santana teased.

Tina just rolled her eyes. "He does have a name, Satan. Besides, he's not that bad. Yes, he has an Angry Birds obsession and he thinks that you smuggled in ostrich eggs in your bra, but seriously, he's not a bad person, you should know this." She defended her boyfriend, she knew that Santana didn't really harbor any ill feelings towards Artie, but she still didn't like the way her friend talked about him.

Santana couldn't help but laugh. "I know, I know, but seriously, some other time okay?" She reassured the shorter girl.

Tina smiled. "Okay, I'm gonna hold you to it. I'll see you tomorrow, Tana."

Santana watched as Tina walked through the double doors and out to the parking lot. She made her way over to her locker to get her Geometry book. Today had been a good day; she had managed to keep her thoughts away from Quinn, even though she haunted her dreams last night. When she was done, she turned around and faced Brittany.

"You want to hang out with me and Lord Tubbington today? He's going to help me write my speech." She asked the girl in front of her.

The two girls started walking down the hallway and towards the double doors that led to the parking lot.

"I don't think Lord Tubbington would be all that great at speech writing. Why don't you come over to mine and I will help you with it." Santana suggested as they made their way to her car.

Santana was proud of her car. Because her dad is a doctor, she was able to get a top of the line BMW, a car that she had always wanted. She waited for Brittany to get in before she pulled the car out of the parking lot. The ride to Santana's house was quiet with only the sound of the radio playing in the background. Santana wasn't really in the mood to talk. Considering she spent her afternoon talking and singing the quiet was much needed. Santana pulled her car into the driveway and they got out. Santana went to check the mail and then they made their way to the house. The two girls linked their pinkies and walked into the Lopez house.

XOXOXOXOXO

Quinn had been back in Lima for a few hours now. It felt a little weird being back in her childhood room. Everything was pretty much the same, except the comforter and the curtains. It brought back such a comfort, something that her apartment in New York was missing in a way.

Quinn walked over to the window and looked out of it. She could see the Lopez house. There was only one car in the driveway and she wondered if it belonged to Santana. Her question was answered when a bright red BMW pulled into the driveway behind the other car. She wanted to look away, but her curiosity got the best of her. Quinn moved back a little so she couldn't be seen, but could still look out. She saw the passenger side door open and a tall blonde girl with a ponytail and a Cheerios uniform stepped out.

"I guess Sue still makes them wear their uniforms everywhere they go." She thought to herself.

Quinn watched as the driver's side door opened and Santana exited the car. She couldn't believe how gorgeous she was. All she saw were tanned legs and flowing black hair. Quinn could not believe that this was little Santana Lopez. She knew that the girl was going to be a beauty when she grew up, but she didn't realize she was going to be a goddess. Quinn scolded herself mentally for thinking that. She continued to watch as the girl went to check the mail. She felt bad that she was blatantly checking her out.

Quinn watched as Santana smiled at the blonde girl and placed her finger around hers as they made their way into the Lopez house. She stepped away from the window she could not believe that her little Santana was all grown up. Quinn made her way downstairs to the kitchen, where her mom was cooking, and sat down at the bar.

"Did you unpack?" Judy asked as she took a sip of wine. Quinn continued watching her mom, "Yeah, I did, it wasn't much, though." Quinn watched as her mom fluttered around the kitchen. She wanted to ask her about Santana, but thought against it. It felt weird seeing her mom moving around the kitchen like she was Betty Crocker, since that really wasn't the case. The only time she really cooked was around holidays and when they had guests.

"I am so glad that you finally decided to come home, the house has been empty without you. Santana comes over once in a while with her friend Brittany, but it's not the same." Judy mentioned casually.

Quinn's ears perked up at the mention of Santana, "I'm really sorry that I haven't been home, I've been dealing with a lot of things; school, work, that kind of stuff. You know the usual." It wasn't a complete lie. "You mentioned Santana, she comes over here?"

Judy stopped stirring and turned to face Quinn. "I understand; and I'm not mad. As far as Santana goes, she comes over and we talk about school and other stuff. Xavier is very busy with the hospital and Natalia is the CEO of an advertisement company now, so Santana's pretty much by herself."

Quinn's heart sunk in her chest at the thought of Santana being alone for long periods of time. If she remembered correctly, Santana was always afraid of being alone because that was when the monsters would come and get her. Her mother mentioned someone named Brittany, Quinn wondered if that was the girl with Santana. "You mentioned something about a girl named Brittany, who is she?"

Judy turned around and finished up the meal. "Brittany is the girl who moved in the house behind the Lopez's. They moved in the day you left, she and Santana became the best of friends. I don't really know why, considering the girl isn't the brightest crayon in the box. Anyway, the two of them are inseparable; she's been a good influence on Santana."

Quinn was now curious about this Brittany girl and what's been going on in Santana's life. She missed out on a lot and wanted to make up for it, but didn't know how. She had a feeling that Santana might still be angry with her, but she didn't blame the girl. Quinn looked around and spotted two tickets on the refrigerator.

"Hey, mom? What are those tickets on the refrigerator for?" she asked.

Judy looked over at the refrigerator, "Those are tickets for  _West Side Story_  tomorrow night at McKinley. It's their opening night and Santana gave me tickets for the show, she plays Anita. I got the extra one for you, if you want to go, that is."

This was brand new information for Quinn; not only was Santana a Cheerio, but she was in drama too. It seemed like the more she found out, the less she really knew about her little Santana.

Quinn thought for a moment, "I would love to go, it would give me a chance to see one of my favorite musicals and to roam the halls of McKinley High School."

There was a knock at the door and Judy motioned for her daughter to go and get it. Quinn hopped off the stool and made her way to the door. She gasped silently when she saw the very girl she and her mother had been talking about.

"Santana?" Quinn asked quietly, afraid what she would say.

Santana looked like a deer caught in headlights; she didn't expect to see Quinn Fabray standing in front of her. A very grown up and hot looking Quinn Fabray at that.

"Q-Quinn?" Santana said a little too unsure of herself.

Quinn just smiled. "Can I get a hug? I haven't seen you in almost seven years and all I get is a 'Quinn'?" She tried to joke.

Santana looked at her. "It's not my fault that you haven't seen me in so long. If you would have come home like you promised, things wouldn't have to be this way." Santana didn't mean to be a bitch, but she couldn't say or show how she really felt. She couldn't believe that Quinn, a grown up Quinn was standing in front of her.

Quinn knew she deserved it, but it hurt nonetheless. "I'm sorry, Santana, it's just that…"

Santana put her hand up. "Save it. Give this to your mom." She handed her a large manila envelope. Quinn took the envelope, still looking at Santana. She couldn't get over how beautiful the girl in front of her was.

"Please don't be like this, Santana. I'm sorry for not keeping my promises to you. What do I have to do to make things right?" Quinn's voice was soft almost pleading.

A lot when through Santana's mind. She had pictured this scenario one too many times in her head. She didn't think that she would actually be dealing with it right here and right now. Quinn was still beautiful as ever and her heart was beating so loudly in her chest that she was afraid that it was going to burst at any moment.

"It's too little too late now, you can't expect to show up here and think that everything is going to be okay, that I'm going to welcome you with open arms. This isn't a movie and it doesn't work like that." Santana answered, trying to keep her voice from cracking.

"I'm really sorry, Santana." Quinn tried again.

Santana wasn't hearing any of it. "Just give your mom the damn envelope and tell her I will see her tomorrow night." She turned and sprinted down the steps and across the street to her house.

Quinn couldn't do anything but watch the girl run away. It took a lot for her to keep from running after her. She wanted to try and make her understand what happened and what was going on. She closed the door and leaned up against it, pressing the envelope to her chest. She could hear her mother's footsteps coming across the hardwood floor.

"Who was that, sweetheart?" Judy asked, looking at the envelope in Quinn's hand.

"Santana." Quinn answered dejectedly as she handed her mother the envelope.

Judy took the envelope from her daughter. "Was she happy to see you?" She asked out of curiosity.

Quinn let out a small sigh. "I wouldn't call it happy, more like pissed."

Judy gave her daughter a small hug. "She's probably shocked, just give her a little time and I'm sure she'll be happy to see her Quinnie."

"I don't think it'll be that easy mom, you should have seen the hurt in her eyes." Quinn mumbled softly.

"Give it a few days; try again tomorrow, after the show. They are holding the casting party at their house tomorrow night; you can talk to her then. Plus, she has her birthday coming up, you can try again then as well." She reassured her daughter

"I hope this works, mom, I don't want her to be mad at me forever." Quinn sighed.

Judy smiled. "She won't be. Now come on and let's eat before dinner gets cold."

The two women walked into the kitchen where the food was already on the bar area of the kitchen. They both sat down and began to eat, filling each other in on what had been going on in their lives.

Quinn wasn't paying attention to what her mom was saying; her mind was on a certain girl with beautiful brown eyes.


	14. Santana's Opening Night

On Friday night, the cast of West Side Story was time fluttering around backstage, trying to get the last preparations ready. Everyone was excited, except for Santana. She was pissed and had a scowl on her face that would rival Sue Sylvester. She had a feeling that Quinn would be out in the audience since Judy was going to be there. Pretty much everyone stayed away from Santana, they knew that she was in super bitch mode, but no one knew why. Santana was putting on her make-up when Rachel approached her.

Rachel cleared her throat, "I know we are not friends and you can barely tolerate me, but in true Broadway fashion I would like to wish you good luck. You will do an amazing job and you would be the only person who could bring Anita to life." She hoped that this would calm Santana down.

Santana looked at Rachel through the mirror. "Thanks for the pep talk, Berry, now please get away from me before you won't make it out on stage tonight," Santana replied. Rachel didn't say another word and made a hasty exit to where everyone else was talking.

"What's up with Santana? She's bitchier than ever tonight." Puck asked Rachel, "She threatened to rip my balls off if I messed up tonight." He put his hands in front of his crotch. Santana has never threatened him that fast before.

Rachel shrugged, "I don't know, all I did was wish her good luck and tell her how great she was going to be and she nearly bit my head off."

Brittany walked over to where everyone was standing, she knew exactly why Santana was being a bigger bitch than normal, "I know why Santana is upset," Brittany told them casually.

All eyes turned to Brittany, waiting for her explanation as to why Santana has been a super bitch all day. They were used to her being that way, because it was who she was, but she was downright cruel. She insulted Finn about his weight and told Rachel that 'having sex with Finn was like having sex with a sack of potatoes soaked in body spray.' Santana was out for blood and they wanted to know why.

Brittany looked at everyone, "Quinn is back in town and let's just say it wasn't a happy reunion." She told them like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Kurt was the first one to speak, "You mean her old baby sitter Quinn Fabray? The one Santana had a major crush on?" He looked pointedly at Brittany.

Brittany just nodded, "Yeah that's her. She got back in town last night, Santana had to take some things over to Quinn's mom last night and she answered the door." She was worried when Santana came back from across the street, her friend was pissed and she didn't know how to calm her down.

Mercedes spoke up, "So that explains why Santana went on a verbal rampage on everyone. If Quinn's return got her this riled up, I don't want to see what happens if they were in the same room together."

Artie rolled over and told everyone that the show would be starting in thirty minutes and they should finish up their last minute preparations. Everyone dispersed and went into different directions. Santana was staring at the mirror, playing with her napkin, trying to keep her mind off of Quinn being in the audience. Right now, she wished that the woman never had come home.

XOXOXOXOXO

Quinn entered the halls of McKinley with her mother; it was like going back in time. She walked past the trophy case and saw the various football trophies, basketball trophies and the cheer leading trophies. She stopped and looked at the National trophy that the Cheerios had won under Santana's captaincy. Quinn felt a surge of pride in her heart because Santana was following in her footsteps. She wondered if the girl had perfected her HBIC attitude. She made her way towards the auditorium, but instead of going in she walked to the backstage area. Quinn opened the door quietly and watched all the kids and that girl Brittany milling about.

She made her way over to the short brunette girl who was standing closest to the door, "Do you know where I can find Santana?" Quinn asked quietly.

Rachel turned around. "She's over there." She pointed over to the vanity area, where Santana was sitting and talking with Brittany.

Quinn gave the girl a smile, "Thanks." She walked off.

Rachel watched the older woman go with a puzzled look on her face. Kurt came over, watching as Quinn made her way over to Santana. They watched as Brittany got up, leaving Santana alone with the other woman. Brittany made her way over to Kurt and Rachel who were able to read her expression.

"Quinn?" Rachel asked Kurt.

Brittany nodded before Kurt could answer. "Quinn."

Rachel looked between Brittany and Kurt, "What is the deal with Quinn? What did she do to Santana that was so horrible?" She asked confused.

Kurt shook his head, "We will be here all night. Now be quiet, I want to see what's going to happen."

Quinn walked over to Santana and stood behind her in the mirror. She couldn't help but take in how beautiful she looked. Her usual long hair pinned up in a bob made her look more grown up than she was. Santana's eyes met hers in the mirror. They held each other's gaze for a few minutes, before Santana looked away.

"What are you doing here, Quinn?" Santana asked, trying to sound annoyed. Deep down she was happy that Quinn had come, but she didn't want her to know.

Quinn sighed. "I came here to see the play tonight, my mom had an extra ticket and she asked me to come with her. It's your first play and I wanted to be here for it."

Santana rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, "Well, isn't that nice of you, I bet I should feel special, right? I mean you missed all my other firsts, but you chose to show up here tonight." She waited for Quinn to respond.

"Listen, Munchkin…I mean Santana, I know I was gone for a long time and we lost contact, but you can't hold it against me forever. I am here now; can't you cut me a little slack?" Quinn was beyond frustrated with the situation.

Santana sighed loudly, "You know what? I don't know, all I know is you left and I don't hear from you for seven fucking years. You walk back in here like the queen of everything and expect everything to be okay? I'm not that little girl you left behind, I grew up." She got up from the vanity table leaving Quinn alone with her thoughts.

Quinn left the backstage area and found her seat next to her mother and Maribel. She sat down dejectedly, earning looks from the adults, but they didn't press her on it. The lights dimmed and the show was beginning. Santana was looking behind the curtain, looking for her parents. She spotted them in the second row in front of the stage and she saw Quinn sitting there. Her heart started beating rapidly in her chest, not because she was nervous, but because the one person she fell hard for was sitting out in the audience. They were half way through the first act when it was time for the " _America"_ performance. Santana was on stage, Puck was saying his lines as Bernardo, the music started and she began to sing. Out in the audience her parents and Judy were looking on proudly. Quinn couldn't believe how gorgeous she looked on that stage and that dress was all kinds of hot on the girl. Quinn had to curb the not so pure thoughts she was having about Santana, she was sure they were illegal in all fifty states.

Santana and the rest of the Sharks were performing, when the Jets led by Mike Chang came in and did their couple of lines, then left the auditorium and went backstage. Quinn couldn't help but smile as Santana and the Asian girl were dancing together, she couldn't believe how graceful she was and how warm her voice had sound. The performance was over and the rest of the play went by in a blur, except for the Anita/Maria duet. Quinn was captivated by it, not because of the chemistry that was there between Santana and Rachel, but because of the passion that was in their voices. The scene was over and Santana went backstage again. Once the play was over, the cast came out onstage and took a bow as the audience gave them a standing ovation. Santana couldn't help but smile a genuine smile when she looked over at her parents and saw how proud they were of her.

The curtains closed and Santana turned to everyone, "Remember, everyone, cast party at my house tonight," Santana reminded everyone, before they left.

Santana was left alone as she changed out of her costume and put on her regular clothes. She removed all of her make-up and took her hair down, shaking it loose. Little did she know that she had company. She looked up and saw Quinn standing there with a bouquet of white lilies, Santana's favorite flowers.

"I got these for you, to say congratulations on your performance. You looked really good up there and you make a fierce Anita." She handed the flowers to Santana.

Santana took the flowers and gave her a curt smile. "Thank you, the flowers are beautiful. How did you know that lilies were my favorite?" She asked. She was completely taken aback by this gesture.

Quinn smirked. "Believe it or not, Santana Lopez, there are a lot of things about you that I know. Your love for lilies is something that I wouldn't forget." She leaned in and brushed her lips lightly against Santana's forehead, a gesture that was all too familiar to both of them. She turned and walked away, leaving a very speechless Santana behind.

XOXOXOXOXO

The party was in full swing at the Lopez house. The adults were upstairs and the kids were downstairs in the massive basement, having a little party of their own, complete with sparkling cider. Santana's parents were against serving alcohol to minors, even though they were in a controlled environment. They were having a good time, though, dancing and laughing, enjoying each other's company even if they were mainly the kids from Glee club. Santana had managed to keep her mind off Quinn for most of the night, but she was in turmoil, knowing that she was upstairs with her parents and other adults. For Santana, it was going to be a very long night.

Quinn was bored being upstairs with all the adults. They were talking about daily life and their kids, something Quinn had no interest in since she deals with kids in her work life. She was also tired of all the questions about why she wasn't married and why she didn't have kids. Maribel saw the distressed look on Quinn's face and made her way over to her.

"I notice that you're bored out your mind, why don't you go downstairs with Santana and the rest of the kids. Gives you a chance to spend a little bit of time with Santana, plus it would show that you are interested in her life."

Quinn looked at the older woman, "I don't know, Santana hates me. You should have seen the way she reacted to me back stage tonight. She didn't want to have anything to do with me."

Maribel shook her head. "Santana doesn't hate you; she's a little bit disappointed that you never showed up in all those years. I know my daughter, she could never hate you, and she loves you far too much. She's stubborn as you already know, but don't give up on her just yet. Santana might surprise you."

Maribel left leaving Quinn alone with her thoughts. She was trying to figure out what the woman meant. Curiosity got the best of her. She put her cup down on the island and made her way down to the basement. Maribel and Judy watched as the young woman walked out of the kitchen and towards the basement. Quinn was at the top of the steps and she heard the teenagers down there laughing and talking. She was debating on whether to go further down or to go back upstairs. She decided that being around the kids would be a whole lot more interesting than being in a room full of adults. Quinn stopped at the top of the steps, she was hesitant to go down she didn't know how everyone would act with her being there.

Tina spotted Quinn at the top of the steps and decided to have a little fun, "Santana, truth or dare?" Tina asked. This caught Quinn's attention; she didn't know that kids still played truth or dare.

Santana had a funny feeling that she was going to be the first one to be asked a question, to prove that she wasn't going to back down, she decided to answer, "Truth," Santana smirked.

Tina thought about it for a minute. "Who was your very first crush?" Tina already knew the answer to this question as well as everyone else. She just wanted her to admit it.

Santana stopped smirking and glared at Tina. The other girl knew full well who her first crush was and she had the nerve to put her on the spot like that. She didn't want to answer just in case someone had come down the stairs to check on them.

"Brittany," Santana answered, knowing it was a lie.

Brittany shook her head, "It wasn't me, Santana, it was Quinn, remember? You would go on and on about her whenever she would call you or send you an email," Brittany said.

Quinn couldn't believe what she heard. Santana had a crush on her? Everything started to make sense; her extreme hatred for Sam or anyone that took her attention, making sure that she always looked her best. She didn't pick up on it at the time and she kind of remembered Maribel mentioning it some time ago she didn't remember when though.

Santana decided to take her turn, "Let's be real here, who hasn't had a crush on their baby sitter? Besides, I was young; I got over it and moved on. Boy Chang? Truth or dare?"

Mike gave a little smile, "Dare."

Santana had a very devious look on her face. "I dare you to take your shirt off and run around in my backyard."

There was a chorus of encouragement from everyone in the basement. Mike took his shirt off and dropped it on Brittany's lap. Everyone got up and followed him outside and watched as he ran around the backyard in the cold. Quinn took advantage of their distraction as a way to make it further down the stairs. She liked the way it was set up and knew that this was Santana's sanctuary. Everyone came back into the house, laughing and cheering because Mike went through with a dare thought up by Santana.

He came back in smirking, "Didn't think I would do it, did you, Santana?" he asked teasingly as he put his shirt back on.

Santana just smirked. "I gotta admit, Boy Chang, you definitely surprised me."

"My turn," Rachel called as everyone made their way back to where they were sitting, but stopped when they saw that they weren't alone. All eyes landed on the tall blonde standing at the bottom of the stairs. Quinn wanted the earth to just open up and swallow her whole.

Santana was the first one to say something. "Isn't it a little skanky to be sneaking up on kids when they are having a moment to themselves?"

Quinn just looked at her. "Just because I'm older than you doesn't mean I'm a creeper. I wanted to see what you guys were up to down here. I don't want to spend my time around a bunch of adults that I don't have anything in common with. Besides, I want to get to know your friends; they are part of your life you know?" She wasn't trying to put Santana on the spot, but she was a little hurt by her comment.

All eyes turned to Santana. "I appreciate the offer, but you're not welcome here. Now please go back upstairs with the adults, where you belong." She was defensive but she didn't appreciate the fact that Quinn called her out like that.

The tension was thick in the room it could be cut with a knife, it was confusing to everyone because they didn't know if it was sexual, or regular tension going on between the two people in the room. This was a very awkward situation for all of them.

Finn decided to speak up, "Let her stay, Santana. She can tell us about her life in New York and the things that she has done. I think it would be very interesting to hear." It wasn't a total lie; he wanted Quinn and Santana to talk.

Santana glared at him. "No one asked you, Finnocence." She couldn't believe that they were siding with Quinn.

Puck spoke up next. "I agree with my boy Finn, let her stay. She seems cool, stop being such a bitch."

Quinn finally spoke up. "Thanks, guys, but it's clear I'm not wanted here." She turned to walk up the stairs.

All eyes were on Santana the ball was in her court they wanted to know what she was going to do with it. Santana, feeling bad, finally spoke up. "Fine, you can stay, but please don't try to act like you're our mother."

The game of truth or dare continued until everyone was pretty much truth or dared out. Brittany was whispering in Tina's ear, she had a huge grin on her face that had everyone looking kind of nervous. Tina never smiled that big unless there was something about to happen.

Tina tried to keep a neutral face, "I have a suggestion, why don't we play spin the bottle?" Tina tried not to smirk. She knew without a doubt that sparks were flying between Quinn and Santana.

Mercedes was the first one to object. "Oh hell to the no! We are not playing spin the bottle we always end up with a jealous Santana and sometimes Kurt. I don't want to have to deal with those two.

Quinn nodded in agreement. "I don't think that's an appropriate game to play, especially with me here. I can go back upstairs and you guys can play."

Kurt spoke up. "What's the matter, Quinn? Are you afraid that you might have to kiss one of us and we will go home and tell our parents about us locking lips with a much older woman?" He challenged, he had an idea of what was going on.

Quinn looked at Santana, who did nothing but smirk and raise her eyebrow. She knew that she was being challenged and there was no way she was going out without a fight. Yes, she is an adult, but odds are she would end up kissing Santana instead of anyone else. She was caught between the devil and the angel she knew what she had to do.

"No, I'm not scared, it just wouldn't be right for me to play, but you can." She told them, she didn't want to make an awkward situation anymore awkward. Quinn looked over in Santana's direction and saw a look of disappointment on the girls face, "You know what? I'll play" She sat down on the floor with the rest of the kids.

Santana got up and picked up the empty sparkling cider bottle, placing it in the middle of the circle. Since Santana got the bottle she had to go first. She spun the bottle quickly and everyone watched in fascination where it landed. The bottle landed on Brittany, much to Santana's relief; she didn't know if she could handle kissing Quinn. It was no secret to anyone in the room that Santana and Brittany used to be a thing back in tenth and eleventh grade. Quinn watched as Santana and Brittany made their way towards each other. The kiss was soft and sweet, with a little bit of passion. Quinn turned her head, feeling like she was intruding in a very private moment. A part of her wanted to pull her away from the other girl and a small part of her was turned on by the display. She was disgusted at herself for the thoughts she was having and the tingling sensation in her stomach.

Santana was the first to pull away, leaving Brittany disappointed. She missed the sweet lady kisses that they used to share. It felt weird having the other girl's boyfriend watch and then Quinn was there watching as well, but it was hot. The game continued on and to Quinn's surprise, she only had to kiss one person and that was Kurt. It wasn't a full on kiss, but a little peck on the lips. It was enough for the both of them. It was Santana's turn again and by some twist of fate it landed on Quinn. Tina couldn't help but smirk, followed by an equally excited Brittany, who was practically bouncing up and down.

"This will definitely be hot," Puck whispered to Finn. This was the moment everyone seemed to be waiting for.

Brown eyes met hazel, both in surprise and understanding. It was just a game and they were taking one for the team. They moved closer to each other and Santana unconsciously licked her lips in anticipation of what was about to happen. Quinn was at war with herself, she knew on some level this was wrong beyond the telling of it. She practically raised Santana and considered her a little sister, this was her munchkin, a very grown up version. Quinn leaned in and their lips touched, softly at first. She closed her eyes as she traced her tongue lightly along Santana's bottom lip, asking for entrance. Instinctively, Santana opened her mouth, allowing the other woman's tongue entrance as the kissed deepened and their tongues did a little dance. Santana had thought about what it would be like to kiss Quinn and now she was getting the chance. It was intense and full of emotion, emotion that Santana never felt when kissing Brittany. Santana unconsciously cupped Quinn's face, intensifying the kiss. It was as if they were the only ones in the room.

Brittany spoke first, "Wow, this is so hot."

This brought Santana and Quinn away from each other, both trying to catch their breath. Their eyes locked and they exchanged a look that no one else was able to decipher. Once they came back to themselves, the realization of what they had done dawned on Quinn. She stood up and bolted up the stairs, leaving a very surprised group of teenagers and a very disappointed and teary eyed Santana behind. The party ended at the Lopez house and everybody went home, save for Rachel Berry. She decided to stay behind and help Santana with the cleanup. She also knew that Santana hadn't been the same since she shared that kiss with Quinn. It was obvious to her that Santana still loved her very much and looking at Quinn she could tell that something was there as well.

Santana sighed, "Why are you still here, Rachel? Aren't your dads expecting you home?" Santana asked as she continued picking up the paper cups around the basement.

Rachel cleared her throat, "It would be bad manners on my part to leave the hostess to clean up by herself. Besides, my dads are out of town tonight and will only be back tomorrow morning. I'm not pressed for time and also your parents told them that I could stay the night."

Santana just rolled her eyes and tried to ignore the other girl, "Look, I appreciate it alright, but don't say anything to anyone at school about this. I have a reputation to keep."

Rachel tried to think of something to get Santana to talk about her kiss with Quinn tonight. The girl was clearly torn about it that much was obvious, "I know what it's like to have a crush on someone who is older than you. I used to have a crush on Mr. Schue when we were sophomores. Nothing came of it, though, because he is a teacher and I am a student and I was entirely too young," She started out.

Santana looked at her. "Why exactly are you telling me this? I don't have a crush on Quinn."

Rachel wasn't buying it, "Your facial expressions and your body language doesn't lie, especially when she is involved. You look at her the way I look at Finn and how you used to look at Brittany when she was with Artie. You're not as sneaky as you think. Quinn is very pretty, Santana, and I can understand why you would have a crush on her." She knew she had Santana there.

Santana didn't say anything else as she and Rachel finished cleaning up the basement in silence. She couldn't stop thinking about the softness of Quinn's lips and tongue, and of how she tasted. Santana could taste peaches and the hint of champagne that she had drunk. It was a taste that was uniquely Quinn. Santana was however still upset that Quinn didn't keep her promise and she was going to make it known the next time she saw her.

XOXOXOXOXO

Quinn entered the house, knowing it was empty. Her mother was still at the Lopez's. She couldn't believe that she kissed Santana and had liked it. The little girl who she baby sat and pretty much helped raise was kissing her like she was older than her seventeen years. She felt sick to the stomach because she felt like she took advantage of someone who trusted her. But on the other hand it had looked like Santana wanted it as much as she did and enjoyed herself. Quinn threw herself on her bed and tried not to think of the come hither stare that Santana had given her. How could someone so young be so fucking seductive? She wanted to continue feeling the softness of her lips and the warmth of her mouth. She shook her head, trying to rid herself of her thoughts. She grabbed her cellphone off the counter and pressed the speed dial button for Amber.

"Hello?" Amber's soft voice came across the line.

Quinn sighed, "Amber, its Quinn. I did a very bad thing." She exhaled lightly.

She could hear the girl on the end gasp softly, waiting for her to finish. Amber had been her best friend for years and they confided in each other. They knew more about each other than others and it continued to be that way over the years. Quinn knew that Amber would never judge her. "What did you do Quinn?"

Quinn realized that it was now or never," I kissed Santana, and I liked it. I'm going to go to a special kind of hell because of this." She confessed covering her eyes with her arm.

Amber tried to suppress her laugh, "So you kissed Santana. What is the big deal about that? She is almost legal."

"You don't understand, all of her friends were there and they saw. How can they ever look me in the face again? I practically tongue fucked their friend into oblivion." She explained.

"Did Santana kiss you back?" Amber asked, it was a very simple question.

Quinn licked her lips, "She kissed me back, as a matter of fact, she was the one who kissed me first. The girl is a very good kisser." She admitted that much.

Amber chuckled, "Then you have nothing to worry about then. She initiated the kiss and didn't stop it so I am sure she didn't have a problem with it at all. Think about that while you're sleeping, it's late and I need my rest. I'll talk to you later."

Quinn hung up the phone and tried not to think about the kiss that she shared with Santana. It was going to be one long night.


	15. Quinn Is Asked to Santana Sit

Quinn woke up to the sun shining brightly through her window. She turned over and put her head under the pillow. It was too early in the morning on a Saturday for her to be getting up, considering she didn't go to sleep until almost four in the morning. Her mind kept replaying the kiss between her and Santana and how disappointed the girl was when she ran out of the basement. Quinn chastised herself, but Amber had been supportive and told her that it was natural. Santana is a very beautiful girl and she looks and acts older than she is. Looking on the bright side of things, Santana will be very legal in the next couple of days.

Quinn buried her head in her pillow, "Ugh, why did I have to kiss her?" She mumbled.

" _Well sometimes I go out by myself_

_and I look across the water, and I think_

_of all the things.."_

Quinn groaned as her cellphone started ringing, it was Saturday morning, everyone she knew was asleep. She tried to ignore the incessant ringing but it wouldn't stop ringing. Having enough of hearing _Valerie_  blaring in the background she answers the phone, "Hello?" She mumbles faintly.

"I'm sorry to wake you up so early, Quinn, but I would like your help today and tomorrow and possibly on Monday as well." Maribel's voice came over the line.

Quinn sat up in bed could hear the tears and sadness in the woman's voice, "I would love to help, what do you need me to do?" She was worried; this is the first time that she heard Maribel cry.

Maribel cleared her throat, "Xavier's uncle died and we need to go out of town for a few days. We don't want to keep Santana out of school on Monday, so we were wondering if you could stay with her this weekend. If you don't have any plans, that is." She really hoped that Quinn would consider doing this.

Quinn's heart started beating heavily in her chest they want her to stay with their teenage daughter; the one she almost came close to molesting last night in their basement, "I'm sorry for your loss." Quinn apologized, "Isn't Santana a little too old to have someone stay with her?" It was a valid question, but Quinn had to think about what she said, it came off a little harsh. "I'm sorry mama Lopez that didn't come out like I wanted it to." She apologized.

Maribel was a little taken aback by Quinn's response and decided to let it go, "Yes she is, but we don't like leaving her alone for long periods of time like this. She doesn't like being alone. Usually your mom spends time with her, but she has a business trip this weekend." Maribel explained.

Quinn thought it over for a few minutes; it would be good for her and Santana to get to know each other again. And maybe Santana wouldn't be so angry with her anymore, but being alone with her had a downside too. She could hear the desperation in Maribel's voice and found that she couldn't say no.

Quinn knew she was probably signing her death warrant, "Of course I'll stay with Santana this weekend mama Lopez. It would give me a chance to get to know the more grown up version of Santana." It really couldn't be that bad.

There was a laugh on the other end of the line. "She's your typical teenage girl with attitude, but she is still the little sweetheart you remember."

The kiss from last night played over in her head again, "I really hope so." Quinn thought. "What time do you need me to be over?" She asked.

Maribel paused for a minute, "Around three. Santana will be home from the matinee performance of West Side Story."

Quinn smiled. "Sounds great, I'll be there at three. What time are you guys leaving?"

"We are leaving at 2:30, maybe a little earlier than that. I would really like for you to be here when Santana comes home. I don't want her coming home to an empty house, not so soon after her uncle's death." Maribel explained, hoping Quinn would understand.

Quinn cleared her throat, "I understand completely. I will be there before you and dad leave."

"Thanks again Quinn, I know this isn't how you imagined your visit home to go." Maribel apologized again.

"No need to apologize, you're family, it's what we do." She told the woman truthfully.

Maribel chuckled, "Spoken in true Lopez fashion. I'll see you later Quinn."

Quinn disconnected the call and put her phone back on the night table. She couldn't believe that she agreed to stay with Santana for the weekend; it was going to be torture of the worst kind. Two days seemed like a long time, but she was doing it as a favor to the Lopez's and she wasn't going to back out now. It might not be as bad as she was making it out to be at least that was what she kept telling herself.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Santana walked into the kitchen where she saw her parents talking softly among themselves. They stopped when they heard their daughter walk into the room. Santana knew something was wrong when she saw that her father's eyes were red from crying. She never saw her father cry unless it was something that he was proud of her for. "What's going on? Why is papi crying?" She asked in a small voice.

Maribel motioned for her daughter to sit down. Santana sat down on one of the bar stools and looked from her mother to her father and back. "Your uncle Alejandro passed away last night in his sleep. His funeral is on Monday, your father and I are leaving later this morning," Maribel explained to her only daughter.

Santana didn't say anything; she was in shock, trying to understand what was happening. Her uncle Alejandro was her favorite, he played with her and made money appear from behind her ear. She didn't understand how this was possible when she just talked to him Thursday, when she told him about the play, "I-I want to go too." She replied in a small voice.

Xavier looked at his daughter, finally finding his voice to speak. "I know you want to, baby girl, but you have the play and I know how much you loved your uncle, I don't want you to miss the play. You worked so hard for that part and we don't want you missing school."

Santana did not like her answer and tried again, "I don't care about some stupid play, I want to go." She pleaded with her parents.

Maribel spoke up. "Santana, it's for the best, don't let your other cast mates down, they need you and they are counting on you. I invited Quinn to stay with you while we're gone. Even though you are old enough to watch yourself, we don't want you in the house alone."

Santana looked at her mother like she had just grown a second head. Not only were they forcing her to stay here against her will, but they had asked Quinn to stay with her as well. She was still a little hurt by Quinn running out last night after they kissed. If she was to be honest she wanted to do it again, but knew that Quinn wouldn't go for it, "Fine, whatever, I need to get upstairs and get ready for rehearsal." She got up from the stool and gave her father a kiss on the cheek.

Santana ran upstairs and into her room, slamming the door behind her and throwing herself on the bed. She was trying her hardest not to cry, but the tears were slowly falling from her eyes and down her cheeks. This weekend wasn't turning out the way that she had wanted; not only had her favorite uncle died, but she was also forced to spend two days with Quinn. She got up and went about her normal Saturday routine, the only difference being that this time; she was headed to school for rehearsal and not for Cheerios practice. She grabbed her bag and made her way downstairs.

"Mami, papi? I'm leaving now." She called into the kitchen.

They walked into the foyer and gave her a big hug, telling her to be good and to stay out of trouble. She rolled her eyes at this, she never got into trouble. With Quinn here, though, it might be a different story altogether...

"We love you, Santana, be good for Quinn and if Brittany comes over please don't allow her anywhere near the stove. Either you or Quinn cook or you order take out. No boys and no parties." Her father told her.

Santana rolled her eyes. "I don't have parties, daddy, unless it's like for my birthday or something. As far as boys go, I'm just not into them. Have a safe trip and I will see you on Monday, I love you too."

Santana kissed both her parents on the cheek and walked out the door, leaving her parents alone in the house. She looked across the street at the Fabray house like she has done so many times before and then got in the car.

"Do you think it was a good idea to have Quinn come and stay with Santana?" Xavier asked his wife.

He saw how Santana's behavior had changed ever since the woman made an appearance back in Lima. Xavier loved Quinn like she was his very own daughter, but he knew of the attachment that Santana had to her. He just didn't want Santana to get attached again and then end up being hurt when Quinn went back to New York.

"I think it's a good idea, it will give Quinn a chance to get to know Santana again. She's not ten anymore, and I think it's time that Quinn recognizes it. Besides, it would be good for them to talk things and clear the air before she heads back to New York."

Maribel was very perceptive, especially when it came down to people, that's where Santana got it from. She had known for a long time that her daughter had a crush on Quinn and was probably a little bit in love with her as well. Right now, she just wanted them to get together so at least they could talk. This weekend provided the perfect opportunity. She just prayed that Santana wouldn't try to attack her.


	16. Santana and Quinn Have It Out

It was two sharp when Quinn made her way to the Lopez house. She double checked her bag to make sure she had her phone, her charger and her clothes. It was going to be long weekend and she needed to be prepared for anything. She rang the doorbell and was greeted by Xavier.

"Come on in." He held the door open wider for her to make her entrance.

Quinn entered the house and gave the man who was like a father to her a hug, "Hi, dad. I'm so sorry for your loss." She told him quietly.

He kissed the top of Quinn's head, "Thank you, Quinn." He broke the hug and stepped back. "Are you ready to deal with Santana this weekend?"

Quinn sighed. "As ready as I'll ever be. I did miss her a lot while I was gone and I feel bad for breaking a promise to her. Hopefully, this weekend I can at least start to make it up to her, so she won't hate me this much." The kiss they shared popped into her head again, it didn't seem like Santana hated her last night but she didn't know.

Xavier chuckled, "She doesn't hate you, Quinn, stop thinking that. It may seem like it, but she's a teenager. She's full of angst and loves to brood. You should know this, considering you were a teenager one time yourself." He reminded her; it wasn't too long ago that Quinn was going through this same phase.

Maribel made her way downstairs with a couple of bags in hand; Xavier grabbed them from his wife. She approached Quinn and gave her a hug, "You need to eat more, when I come back I am going to have to fix you some dinner Lopez style."

Quinn laughed, "I can't wait to have your cooking, Mama Lopez. I can't get good Puerto Rican food in New York unless I go to the bad side of town."

Xavier chuckled, "Well for now, you don't have to go to the bad side of town. You can get it authentically and from home."

Maribel chimed in, "Don't let Santana get to you she will probably push the boundaries like she always does. Her curfew is no later than one on Saturday and eleven on Sunday. No boys over to the house, the alarm code and emergency numbers are all on the refrigerator like always. There is money for takeout or whatever you two may need in the cookie jar on the counter. If any problem arises I'm sure you can handle it. Thank you again for doing this for us," Maribel knows that Quinn is responsible, but it doesn't hurt to remind her.

Quinn smiled. "I have it all under control, I live in New York. It's not going to be all that bad, and if Santana steps out of line I can handle it," she reassured them.

Maribel and Xavier left, leaving Quinn alone in the house. She made her way up the stairs to the guest room, looking at the pictures on the wall. She had seen a lot of them before, but there were a lot more that she has never seen before; various family pictures and pretty much pictures of Santana through the years. She still looked the same, but taller and curvier. Quinn walked passed Santana's room and into the guest bedroom, where she unpacked. When she was done, she went down to the living room to watch  _Jersey Shore._

XOXOXOXOXO

A few hours later, Santana pulled her car into the driveway. She didn't want to get out. She knew that Quinn was probably already inside and she would have to deal with her. That is something that she wanted to avoid at all costs. With a frustrated sigh, she grabbed her bag and got out of the car, making her way into the house.

"Anyone home?" she called out into the seemingly empty house. She dropped her bag by the door and took off her shoes.

Quinn looked up at the clock and saw that it was four, "I'm in the family room." Quinn answered.

Santana silently cursed; she didn't expect Quinn to be there when she got home. She just wanted to go into the kitchen, fix something to eat and veg out in front of the TV. Now her plans had changed because she had an unwanted house guest. Santana made her way into the family room and saw Quinn sitting on the couch with one of her legs tucked under her ass, watching  _Jersey Shore,_ one of her favorite reality shows, after  _Real Housewives_. Santana thought Quinn looked sexy sitting there.

Santana cleared her throat, "Are mom and dad gone?" She didn't know why she asked that question considering Quinn is in her house and her parents aren't.

Quinn turned and looked at the girl standing in front of her, she was trying not to look the girl up and down, but it was kind of hard. She was wearing denim overalls and a white shirt. Her hair flowed over her back in loose waves. A picture of innocence but Quinn knew that Santana was anything but innocent.

"Yeah, they left around two-thirty." She answered never taking her eyes off of the teenager in front of her. Quinn could see a little hint of a pout on the girl's lips. She had to stop thinking about Santana's lips and how soft they are.

The tension in the room was so thick you could cut it with a knife, the air crackled around them, as if they were in some sort of force field. They didn't know what to say or if they should talk about what happened between them last night in the basement.

Santana sat down on the couch with Quinn leaving distance between them, "They left a laundry list of rules, didn't they?" Santana brought her knees up to her chest.

Quinn shrugged. "No more than usual, but they added 'no parties' and 'no boys'."

Santana rolled her eyes. "Like that's going to be an issue." Truth is Santana hasn't been interested in boys for a very long time she loved her ladies.

Quinn looked at her with an eyebrow raised when she heard that comment. She wasn't going to ask Santana to elaborate on it; she figured the girl would tell her in her own time. The last thing she wanted to do was rock the proverbial boat. Quinn had a little idea given the way Santana kissed Brittany; it was obvious, that something went on between the both of them.

Quinn changed the subject, "Since it's just you and me this weekend, what do you want to do?" She asked it was her attempt for them to bond.

Santana was amazed at how Quinn wanted everything to be normal with them, "Let's get something straight, don't come to try and make this weekend bonding time, okay? I don't need it. You're here because my parents needed someone to keep me in line, not because you want to be around me." Santana stated firmly it was obvious she had some resentment.

Quinn was taken aback by all of this, but she knew that it was to be expected. Santana wasn't a very forgiving person and she was always honest about her feelings. She was now regretting her decision to watch her, "Santana, I do care about you more than you know. I'm not doing this as a favor to your parents; I'm doing it because it will give us time together to get to know each other again." This was not going like she hoped.

Santana didn't back down. "Get to know each other again? If you would have kept your promise like you said you would, we wouldn't be in this situation now. You would know what is going on in my life."

Quinn was growing frustrated. This wasn't going anywhere, "You stopped talking to me, Santana, you pretty much pushed me out of your life when you hit middle school. I know I missed out on some of the more important things in your life and I am sorry, but I am not going to let you keep on punishing me for it." She ran her fingers through her hair she knew this was going to come but she didn't know when.

Santana stood up, " _I_  stopped talking to  _you_? I was the one who called you almost every night, but your roommate said you weren't home and you would call me back later. I waited and waited and waited, but you never called back. You told me in e-mails that you would be home for this break or that break. Those breaks rolled around and you didn't come home. It got to the point where I stopped believing in you. I needed you, Quinn, and you were nowhere to be found, and now that I'm all grown up you decide to show up!"

Quinn stood up and made her way over to Santana. She hadn't realized how much she had hurt the girl. She was too busy concentrating on school and getting her degree. Nothing else really mattered at the time. She tried to reach out for her, but Santana snatched her hand back.

Santana held up her hand, "No, don't you dare touch me."

Quinn looked as if she was burned, she stepped back. "There is no excuse for the way I behaved I never got any of your messages. My roommate was never in when I got to the dorm and there were no messages on the message board saying that you had called. Had I known, I would have called you back. I was trying to get my degree so I could finish school. I felt like you didn't need me anymore."

Santana's was trying to fight the tears that were threatening to fall, "I didn't need you? I didn't need you? I fucking needed you, Quinn, it may not have seemed like it but I did. I was young and having all these feelings about my best friend that I knew I was not supposed to have. Most girls at that age are boy crazy and dreaming about kissing boys, but not me, I was having dreams about kissing my best friend. I needed you because I felt that you would understand and wouldn't tell me that it was a phase and I would grow out of it." She wiped the stray tears that had fallen down her cheeks.

Quinn wanted nothing more than to take Santana into her arms and tell her that it was going to be alright. That she was here now and she wasn't going to go anywhere, not for the time being anyway. She didn't want to tell the girl that she had been in contact with Maribel and her mother and that they had told her about all things Santana.

Quinn tried to find the words, "I'm sorry, Santana, I never meant to hurt you, that's the last thing I wanted to do." She tried.

Santana just shook her head, "Why did you come back Quinn? What were you hoping to achieve?" The tears were no longer falling from her eyes.

Quinn sighed. "I came back for your birthday, you turn eighteen in a few days and I wanted to be here for that. You only turn eighteen once. Besides it was time that I came home to visit anyways mom was all over me for staying away."

Santana let out a sarcastic chuckle, "My birthday? You really expect me to believe that? I may have been born at night, but it wasn't last night. I had major birthdays before this one and you never showed up. My thirteenth birthday, when I had my quincinera, and my sweet sixteen, you weren't there for those. So why is this one different?"

Quinn didn't have an answer to that, she didn't know. She knew that she had wanted to see her family and friends and Santana. She had to think about what she wanted to say, because with the volatile state that Santana was in, she didn't want to push her over the edge. That is something Quinn saw a lot of when trying to get through to some of her younger patients.

"I would never be able to live with myself if I missed out on another important birthday. If I wouldn't have come home, I wouldn't have been able to see you in  _West Side Story_. I would have to see it and hear about it in pictures and videos that your mother would email me." She confessed.

Santana sat back down dejectedly on the couch. "My mom sent you emails? You kept in touch with my mother, but not with me? That's pretty fucked up." She shook her head in disgust.

Quinn sat down next to her, making sure to leave some space between them. She didn't want Santana to think that she was trying to crowd her, "She filled me in on things that you probably wouldn't have. She sent me the video of Sectionals last year, of your very first solo.  _"Valerie"_  is one of my favorite songs and you sang it perfectly. You could be another Amy, minus the drugs and alcohol. I was so fucking proud of you, you got on that stage and you owned it, Santana style."

Santana sniffled, "I did, I worked that song like a stripper works a pole. That doesn't mean anything, though, because you weren't there."

Quinn tried to hide her smile, "I'm here now, Santana, look at where I am right now. I'm not hanging out with Amber or anyone else, I am here with you. Not because your parents asked me to, but because I want to be. I was kind of worried considering how much rage you had towards me and then the kiss we shared last night..."

The kiss was something that Santana had tried to block out of her mind and had wanted to avoid talking about. She wanted to pretend that it never happened. Kissing Quinn brought out feelings in her, feelings that she thought she had pushed away a long time ago. She knew that the older woman would not feel the same way about her, because she was young and she pretty much helped raise her.

Santana bit her lip, "It was just a game, Quinn, one that you shouldn't have even played anyway." There was a pause but Santana continued, "You didn't have to kiss me back. You could have pulled away."

Quinn knew that Santana had a point, but she didn't want Santana to think that since she was a grown-up she forgot to have fun, "You're right, Santana, I shouldn't have, but I did. I wanted to show you that I was still the same Quinn you remembered. I could have pulled away, but I didn't and I am sorry for running out the way I did last night. I was a little disappointed in myself."

Santana didn't have anything else to say about that. "You were alright for a grown-up. Why were you disappointed? I was the one who kissed you."

"Because Santana, I felt like I was doing something bad with you. I've known you since you were six years old. I've watched you grow up and change I use to give you baths and take baths with you. In a way I still saw you as that little girl, not the young woman you are today." Quinn confessed.

Santana's expression softened, "I'm not that little girl anymore. I am a young woman and no longer innocent. I grew up which you've obviously noticed."

Quinn used this time to ask about Brittany, "Was Brittany the best friend that you had feelings for? You two are awfully close and that kiss you two shared last night came off as if it was the most natural thing in the world for you two."

Santana shifted in her seat, she felt uncomfortable discussing her feelings for Brittany even though she was so over it. Sure, a part of her will always love the other girl, but strictly as her best friend. There was only one person she truly loved and she was sitting next to her.

Santana sighed, "We became close after you left we used to hang out a lot. People used to make fun of her because she lives in her own little world and she's a little slow. I honestly think she is a genius though. Somewhere along the line I started developing feelings for her. She had feelings for me; we started sleeping with each other in our sophomore year. We dated through our junior year and broke up over the summer because she cheated on me with Mike."

Quinn was speechless she didn't know what to say. She was a little mad at herself because she had to deal with this by herself. Quinn felt a twinge of jealousy but she didn't know where that came from. She realized last night that Santana had a crush on her for years, and that she was feeling a little something more than just fondness towards her.

Quinn decided to put her psychology training to the test, "Do you think your feelings for Brittany were transference of feelings that you had for another person, but couldn't have?" She asked.

Santana looked at her, confusion written all over her face. "Don't try to psychoanalyze me okay? I'm not one of your patients and I don't plan on ever being one. So please save that psych bullshit for someone else who really needs it." Santana stormed out of the family room and Quinn could hear her footsteps going up the stairs. She knew the girl had made it to her room when she heard the door slam. This was not supposed to happen, at least not like this. She hoped the rest of the night would get better for them.


	17. Santana Brittany and Quinn (Oh My)

Santana threw herself across her spacious queen-sized bed and tried not to cry. This was one of the reasons why she wished Quinn had not come back. It brought out all these different feelings and emotions that she didn't feel like dealing with. The kiss they had shared last night was nothing like she had ever experienced before; she had literally thought she saw fireworks.

Santana sighed, "I wish she wouldn't have come back to Lima. My life would have been a lot less complicated." She thought to herself. Tired from everything, Santana decided to take a nap. Maybe it would take her mind off of a certain older woman downstairs watching TV.

XOXOXOXOXO

When Santana woke, she realized that the sun was about to set and that she was hungry. With a sigh, she got out of bed and made her way downstairs and into the kitchen. She turned the corner and noticed Quinn at the stove, fixing chicken and broccoli Alfredo, one of Santana's favorite dishes. Quinn had her back to Santana as she entered the kitchen, "Hey sleepyhead, how did you sleep?" She asked, never looking away from the stove.

"I slept okay; I didn't realize how tired I was until I decided to lay down." She lamented. Santana watched intently as Quinn shuffled about the kitchen preparing her dish. She remembered the many times she would sit and watch her cook when she was little. Besides her mother and father, Quinn was the next best cook, and she enjoyed everything she fixed. She used this time to shamelessly check out the woman at the stove. Quinn had changed not by much, but her body was seriously banging and Santana wanted to get all up on that. She regretted nothing.

Quinn could feel Santana's gaze on her the entire time that she was moving around the kitchen. She saw Santana entering out the corner or her eye and she could smell her Burberry perfume. For someone so young, she sure had an expensive taste. She noticed that Santana was no longer wearing her overalls, but had instead put on a pair of yoga pants and black shirt with  _"Bad Kitten"_  written on the front. She licked her lips discreetly. Yup she was definitely going to a special kind of hell.

"Dinner will be ready in a few minutes." Quinn mentioned as she turned the alfredo sauce.

Santana smiled, "I can't wait." The doorbell rang and Santana hopped off the stool, making a beeline for the door. She saw Brittany with her Cheerios duffel bag. Santana forgot that Brittany was staying over tonight. It would be a welcome distraction from Quinn and it would keep her mind occupied. She let Brittany in they exchanged a small hug.

"Hey Santana." Brittany greeted her best friend.

Santana gave Brittany the smile that was just for her, "Hey Britt Britt. Drop your bag by the door, we can take it upstairs later. Quinn just finished cooking dinner." She told her as she walked back into the kitchen.

"Who was at the door Santana?" Quinn asked as she saw Santana return.

Santana smirked, "It's Brittany, she's sleeping over tonight and before you say anything, mami and papi already approved."

Quinn smiled politely, "Hi, Brittany. Santana, could you get the plates?"

The girl got up from the island and did as she was asked. She took her seat next to Brittany as they watched Quinn fix their plates. Quinn heard them whispering to each other and then Santana laughed. She has always loved Santana's laugh, it was so infectious. The whispering stopped once Quinn placed the plates in front of the two girls before putting hers on the other side of Santana.

"Thank you." Brittany said as she began dinner. "Do you like living in New York?"

Quinn wasn't expecting Brittany to start asking questions as soon as she sat down. She looked like she was wrapped up in Santana and the other girl looked just as smitten. Quinn couldn't help but feel a little jealous considering how close the two girls really were. She didn't know where these feelings were coming from, but they needed to go away.

Quinn decided to finally answer, "Yeah, I do. I've always loved the city life. Don't get me wrong I Lima is home but New York is life."

Brittany laughed, "Santana said she wanted to run away there and live in a lesbian colony or Tribeca."

Santana dropped her fork on her plate when Brittany made that comment. She knew it was going to come back and bite her in the ass someday. She didn't care though Quinn already knew that Santana liked girls and she had a relationship with Brittany.

The older woman wasn't a little bit fazed by Brittany's admission, "I don't know if there is a lesbian colony, but Tribeca is really nice, I've been there lots of times. You would really like it." She winked at Santana.

Santana tried not to blush, "We didn't get a chance to see much when we were there for Nationals. Mr. Schue had us locked in our hotel rooms trying to come up with songs for Nationals. Unfortunately, we didn't place because of Frankenteen and Yentl's need to kiss." Santana chimed in, trying not to be left out.

Quinn didn't get a chance to see them compete. Her mom had told her about it, but she hadn't been able to rearrange her appointments for that afternoon. She tried her best to reschedule them, but parents had lives themselves. Hopefully when they have their next competition she could be there for it.

Brittany laughed, "Santana lost it when we got back to the room. It took me, Mike and Sam to hold her back, if we would've let go she probably would've killed Rachel."

Santana closed her eyes, wishing that the world would just open up and swallow her whole. She didn't say anything once Brittany started talking about Lord Tubbington, her overly fat cat. Dinner was done and Santana decided to help Quinn with the dishes while Brittany went to the family room. The other girl was not allowed to help out in the kitchen, things always broke or she got hurt.

Quinn finally spoke up after Brittany was gone, "Brittany seems like a nice girl, I can see why you're friends with her." Quinn commented.

Santana smiled, "Yeah, she's sweet and innocent, something this world lacks." Santana looked at Quinn discretely trying to read her face. She couldn't tell if the woman was jealous or annoyed about Brittany being there.

Quinn could feel Santana's eyes on her, "I can finish up in here, why don't you go in there with Brittany and I'll join you when I'm finished." She needed to get away from Santana. The girls scent was intoxicating and it was driving Quinn insane.

Santana didn't need to be told twice she ran to the family room. Quinn breathed a sigh of relief as she finished cleaning up the kitchen. She was witnessing firsthand how much Santana had changed since the last time that she seen her. The little girl was gone and was replaced by a very sensual and mysterious young woman. In a way, she was kind of glad that she missed out on some things during Santana's childhood. It would've been awkward for her to watch the girl transition from child to a teenager to a young woman. Quinn tried not to think of Santana like that, but it was so damn hard. All she really wanted was to kiss her again this time in private.

Once the kitchen was clean, she turned off the lights and made her way into the family room. She stopped in the doorway when she saw Brittany sitting on the couch with Santana's head in her lap. Brittany was running her long, slender, fingers through Santana's raven hair. Her heart broke a little at the sight; that was something she always did and now someone else was doing it. She senses a strange feeling bubbling up in her chest, one that she hasn't felt in a really long time. Quinn was jealous, jealous of Brittany for having replaced her.

"She was never mine in the first place," Quinn thought to herself as she sat down on the adjacent couch and watched TV with the girls. "So what are we watching?"

Santana looked over at Quinn from her spot on Brittany's lap,  _"Pitch Perfect"_  I love this movie." She mentioned casually. "Becca is so hot. I would totally do her." She mentioned offhandedly.

Brittany laughed, "You say that all the time. I think Chloe is hot; I would do her hands down."

Quinn watched as Brittany played with Santana's hair, seeing how much she enjoyed it. She used to do that to comfort Santana, or to help her fall asleep. It pained her to see Brittany doing that because it had been her thing. She wondered how Brittany knew to do that, if Santana had told her. Either way, Quinn wasn't happy about it at all. The more she thought about it, the more it hurt. Quinn knew that she was responsible for the strain between her and Santana. It broke her heart to hear how much the girl had needed her. She cursed her stupid college roommate. Brittany and Santana went upstairs, leaving Quinn alone in the family room. Bored with television, Quinn turned off the television and the light. She set the alarm and then made her way upstairs, walking past Santana's room. She saw that her door was open and the lights were still on.

She tiptoed into Santana's room and couldn't believe how much it had changed. The pink and white wallpaper had been replaced with black and she noticed a tan carpet and zebra skinned rug. Quinn looked at the bed and saw the two girls lying in the middle. They were close, but they weren't touching. She turned off the light in the room and walked out, making sure she cracked the door just a little bit. Quinn made her way to the room she was occupying, changed into her pajamas and climbed into the bed. She looked at her phone and saw that she had two text messages from Melissa and a missed call from Amber. She didn't feel like answering them right now, all she wanted to do was sleep. Maybe the next day would be better for them both. Quinn turned off the lamp and prayed that she would be able to fall asleep.

_It was a beautiful summer day when Quinn saw the new family move into the house across the street. The man and woman were helping the movers bring stuff into the house, but Quinn's eyes rested on the little girl who was telling the other movers where everything went. She seemed like a little bossy thing, but she was adorable with her wavy hair in a ponytail. The little girl looked across the street, waved at Quinn and ran into the house. Quinn didn't notice her mom going outside._

" _New neighbors?" Judy asked._

_Quinn nodded, "Yeah, a young couple with a little girl." She answered._

" _Why don't we take some cookies over to welcome them to the neighborhood? Don't want them to think that we're unfriendly."_

" _I think that's a good idea."_

_Quinn ran into the house and prepared a plate of cookies._

" _Ready to go." Quinn smiled._

_They made their way across the street, walked to the front porch and rang the doorbell. They waited patiently until a little girl no older than five opened the door and ushered them in._

" _Mommy, daddy! The people from across the street are here." Santana yelled into the house._

" _Santana Brielle Lopez, what did I tell you about opening the door for strangers?" Maribel scolded her daughter._

" _Not to open the door unless you or daddy are around." She replied softly._

_Maribel's eyes landed on the two women standing near the entryway of the door._

" _Hi, you must be the neighbors from across the street." She reached out her hand and Judy shook it._

" _Yes, I am Judy Fabray and this is my daughter Quinn. We came over to bring you some cookies that Quinn made and to welcome you to the neighborhood."_

_Maribel smiled. "I'm Maribel Lopez, my husband, Xavier, is around here somewhere and this little monkey here is our daughter Santana."_

_Quinn knelt down in front of the little girl and gave her a smile, "Hi, Santana, I'm Quinn."_

_Santana smiled, "Nice to meet you Quinn. You're very pretty, are you a princess?"_

_Quinn laughed, "No, I'm not a princess, but you are."_

_The adults were talking, but Quinn couldn't help but pay more attention to the little girl in front of her. Quinn had always loved children and always wanted a little sister or brother of her own. Of course she had a big sister, but she longed for a little one, someone she could look out for and take care of._

" _I like being a princess, you wanna see my room? It's almost done; I have to put up my toys and clothes." She told Quinn._

" _Let's ask your mommy if it's okay?" She suggested._

" _Excuse me mommy? May I take Quinn upstairs to see my room? If it's alright with Mrs. Fabray." Santana asked politely._

_Quinn couldn't help but laugh at how polite the little girl was. For someone as young as she was, she was quite grown up and very well behaved while most kids her age were terrors. Santana was definitely something special._

" _It's alright with me, Santana, as long as it's okay with your mom." Judy looked at Maribel._

_Maribel looked at her daughter, "Yes, you can show Quinn your room, but don't keep her too long. I'm sure she has things to do."_

_Before Quinn could say anything, she was being led up the stairs and into Santana's room. She looked around and saw that the room was pretty much put together except for some boxes that lined one wall._

" _Your room is beautiful Santana, fit for a princess." Quinn gushed._

" _Thank you. Daddy let me pick out everything but we had to com-comerize on the wallpaper, though."_

_Quinn tried not to laugh when she heard Santana try to say compromise – it was the cutest thing she had ever heard._

" _It's good that you were able to help decorate your room. I didn't get a chance to do that until I was older. How old are you Santana?"_

_Santana held up six fingers, "I'm six! I'm going to first grade. How old are you?"_

" _I'm fourteen just a little older than you, but six is a very good age." Quinn told her._

_Quinn helped Santana get her room together. As they were putting everything away, she learned more about the little girl. Her favorite color was pink, she loved Disney movies, her favorite food was lasagna and she had a love for churros. Quinn told her some things about herself as well: that she was a cheerleader, her favorite color was blue and she liked to sing. Once the room was put together, Quinn broke the boxes down and put them outside in the hallway._

" _Thank you for helping me, Quinnie." Santana said as she sat down on her bed._

_Quinn sat down next to her, "You're welcome. Now your room is really fit for a princess." She smiled at the little girl._

_Santana giggled covering her mouth with one hand, "I like you."_

" _I like you too, Santana." Quinn replied._

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Quinn woke up to the sound of laughter coming from Santana's room. She looked at the clock on the nightstand and saw it was nine-thirty. Usually she wasn't up this early as she always slept in and had brunch on Sundays. That's not happening today, not with two teenagers in the house. With a sigh, she got up and went to the guest bathroom to freshen up before making her way downstairs. Quinn walked by Santana's room and noticed that door was open a little further than she left it last night. She peeked in and saw Santana in her red Cheerios shorts with a white tank top and she noticed Brittany had on a pair of the same shorts with a black tank top. They were having a pillow fight with each other, feathers flying everywhere. Brittany and Santana were so wrapped up in their fight they didn't notice Quinn standing there. She cursed herself internally for staring at them, mainly at Santana and her legs. Her mouth went dry when she saw Santana knock Brittany down on the bed and climb on top of her, tickling the other girl. Quinn had never wanted to be Brittany as much as she did right about now.  _"Oh my God, can't believe I just thought that."_

"You give up?" Santana asked the girl underneath her.

Brittany tried to answer in between fits of laughter, "Yes! You are the queen of pillow fights."

Santana stopped tickling the other girl and got off of her, lying down beside her as the feathers started to settle around them. Quinn took this as her queue to knock on Santana's door.

Santana looked over and saw Quinn standing there in a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt, her hair a little messy, like she just got out of bed. She couldn't believe how beautiful she looked, even this early in the morning. It was a crime against humanity for one woman to be so damn sexy.

"Morning, Quinn." Brittany spoke up.

Quinn cleared her throat, "Good morning girls. I'm going to make breakfast and wanted to know what you girls would like."

" _How about you on my bed."_  Santana thought to herself. She cleared her throat, "Pancakes and bacon."

"Pancakes and bacon it is." She turned and walked down the steps, leaving the two girls alone.

Brittany and Santana got up and started straightening up Santana's room; it was a mess from their impromptu pillow fight. Santana vacuumed the floor while Brittany shook out the comforter and sheets. Neither girl exchanged words as they went about their tasks. Once the floor was clean, both girls fell back onto the bed.

"Are you still upset with Quinn?" Brittany asked.

Santana sighed, "I don't know any more Britt, I want to be mad at her forever, but it's not possible."

"You love her and not in the way you love me. The kiss the two of you shared Friday night in the basement showed how much you really like her, and she likes you too." Brittany surmised, she may not be book smart but she was definitely people smart.

Santana looked at Brittany like she had grown a second head. No one knew of her feelings for Quinn she tried her best to hide them. If Brittany could figure it out, she wondered if Quinn had figured it out too. The last thing she wanted was for Quinn to find out how she really felt.

"I'm not in love with Quinn; it was just a little crush. I was a kid, I got over it." She hoped that was convincing.

Brittany shook her head. She noticed the looks that Santana would give Quinn when Santana thought nobody was looking; she'd heard the longing in her voice whenever she talked about Quinn. "Lord Tubbington disagrees."

Santana laughed, "That's because you took away his cigarettes. He would do anything to get them back." She joked.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Quinn was downstairs mixing the pancake batter when her phone rang. She thanked whoever was listening for the distraction. She was trying not to think about a half-naked Santana having a pillow fight with her friend. She answered the phone, "Hello?"

"Hey, how's Lima?" Melissa's voice came over the line.

Quinn couldn't believe that she practically forgot about Melissa, "Its good, could be better, but I think I'm getting there." She laughed as she finished mixing the batter and putting a couple of circles on the griddle.

Melissa continued, "I had sent you a couple texts last night. I figured you were kind of busy since you didn't text me back."

Quinn flipped the pancakes over, "Sorry about that, I was kind of busy and didn't have my phone on me." It wasn't a total lie; the last few days have been busy for her. To be honest she really didn't think about Melissa at all.

Melissa was intrigued, "Busy how?" She really hoped that Quinn didn't hookup with an ex while she was in Lima.

"Busy as in hanging out with family, Santana and her friend Brittany." She answered, pulling the pancakes off and putting some more mix on the griddle.

"Was Santana surprised when she saw you?" She asked trying to feed her curiosity.

Quinn shook her head, "It went as good as could be expected, she unleashed her fury on me last night, but other than that it was okay."

"Well fuck Fabray, what did you expect, her welcoming you with a parade or something?" Melissa couldn't get over how naive her friend could be. She pretty much deserted the kid and expected her to be happy about her return.

Quinn sighed, "No, but that's beside the point. On Friday, I went to a play at my old high school; they were doing  _West Side Story_. It was very well done, but the best part was Santana playing Anita. You should have seen her; she brought so much fire and passion to her character. She stole the show for me. I think the best performance of the night was " _America"_ , hands down. So full of energy and the dancing was phenomenal, Santana sung the hell out of that song. She used to sing a lot when she was younger, but this was just  _wow_. If they ever bring West Side Story back to Broadway she would make a pretty good Anita."

Quinn was too busy talking on the phone and making breakfast, so she didn't notice Santana and Brittany in the entryway of the kitchen. Santana could not believe what she was hearing. Quinn was talking about her and praising her performance. This caused her heart to swell five times its regular size in her chest.

"Quinn Fabray I don't know if you sound like a proud mother or girlfriend." Melissa joked.

She laughed, "If you were here and you'd seen it, you'd feel the same way. Look, I need to finish breakfast, I'll call you later." Quinn hung up the phone and turned to put the pancakes on the plates she had set out, but stopped when she saw Brittany and Santana. Her mind went into panic mode had they heard her conversation? "Breakfast is ready, let's sit down and eat before it gets cold." Quinn gestured toward the plates on the table.

Santana smiled at the taste of the pancakes; they were her favorite: banana nut flavored. She couldn't believe that Quinn had remembered. Santana didn't know that Quinn was discreetly watching her, but Brittany did. Quinn saw this and turned her head to her plate.

"These pancakes are super awesome Quinn. You are such a good cook." Brittany said, stuffing her mouth full of the banana nut goodness.

Quinn blushed, "My mom taught me how to make them, so I make them every now and again. I used to make them a lot for Santana when I stayed over."

Santana tried not to think about that, "Does anyone want orange juice?" Santana asked as she got up from the center island.

"Yes, please." Quinn and Brittany answered together. Santana shook her head they were similar in so many ways.

Santana went to fix them the orange juice, wondering what Quinn's angle was by making her favorite pancakes from when she was younger. She will admit that seeing this made her heart happy because Quinn remembered something else about her. Maybe, just maybe, Quinn didn't forget her after all.

"What do you two have planned for the day?" Quinn asked the girls. She needed to make sure she had a little time to herself today.

"After breakfast, I have to head home. My mom said my grandparents are coming, so I have to spend some time with them." Brittany answered.

Santana took her time to answer, "I don't have any plans for today, it's Sunday, my down time. So I'm just going to do what I normally do."

Quinn raised an eyebrow, "What is it that you normally do?" She had a lot to learn about the new Santana.

Santana shrugged, "Watch T.V., catch up on a little bit of homework. Most of the time I hang out with Brittany." Santana got up from the table and put her plate in the sink before heading upstairs.

Quinn looked at Brittany, who just shrugged her shoulders. Quinn didn't understand how the girl could go from hot one minute to cold the next. "Is she normally like this?" She asked Brittany.

Brittany shook her head, "Not around me, but she is around other people. Santana is Lebanese she tries to hide her feelings, but she is transparent like tape. We don't share sweet lady kisses anymore or have sex. Maybe you and Santana can share sweet lady kisses; she wouldn't be hot and cold."

Quinn looked at the younger girl as if she was from another planet, but Brittany didn't notice at all. Quinn couldn't believe what she had suggested and shared about her and Santana. She wouldn't mind kissing Santana again, exploring the warmth of her mouth, the way her tongue felt against hers.  _"Get a grip, Quinn. She's a child, she's under age."_  She thought to herself.  _"In a few days she won't be so under age."_ She really hated her thoughts right now.

"So, Santana is a lesbian?" Quinn questioned the girl in front of her, she wondered if Santana would have shared this with her if she was still around.

Brittany continued, "Yeah, I tried to get her to come out last year, but I realized that the more I tried to push her, the more she went into Narnia. She's afraid of what people would say behind her back; Kurt was bullied a lot by this football player named Karofsky. He actually had to transfer to Gay Hogwarts just to get away from him. Santana's afraid that the same thing would happen to her, but I told her that she was awesome and could cut them with her vicious, vicious words and kick their asses." She shrugged.

Quinn tried to absorb everything she'd just heard. Suddenly Santana's rant from the previous night started to make a whole lot of sense. She wanted to ask Brittany more questions, just so she could get a better insight into Santana. Quinn pressed on, "What happened between you two? She mentioned last night that you two had dated."

Brittany looked down at her plate, "I wanted to do a duet with her, a song by Melissa Etheridge, but she didn't like the idea of singing "Come to My Window" by a lesbian artist. I started dating Artie, to make her jealous. She finally told me how she felt after talking to Ms. Holliday, but I told her I was with Artie and I couldn't be with her. Things between us changed and I lost my best friend, but by the end of last year we were okay and started dating. I messed up though because I cheated on her with Mike."

Quinn's mind was officially blown, not only did she learn about the nature of their relationship, but she learned a little about Brittany as well. Right now she wasn't too thrilled with what Brittany had told her, she wanted her cake and eat it too. She didn't understand how someone so sweet could also be sour at the same time.

Brittany got up and put her plate in the sink, "I have to get my stuff and go home. Thanks for breakfast, it was delicious."

Quinn watched as the girl left the kitchen and made her way upstairs. She got up from her stool and began putting away the dishes. A few minutes later, she heard the two girls come back downstairs and then she heard a door being closed. Quinn was once again left in the kitchen with her thoughts. It's amazing how much insight you can get into a person by talking to the closest people around them.


	18. Quinn Has A Revelation

Santana felt kind of bad about leaving Quinn and Brittany downstairs by themselves but she couldn't take being in the same room with her. Her anger towards Quinn was slowly starting to dissipate and the feelings she had for Quinn when she was younger were starting to show themselves again. Santana worked her ass off to get over the woman downstairs, but she comes back, and the feelings she had were returning. She got up from her bed and decided to head downstairs and help Quinn with the cleanup, after all, she cooked.

Santana saw Quinn at the sink, "Do you want some help?"

Santana's voice caught Quinn's attention and brought her out of her thoughts, "Well, yeah, I cooked breakfast so, so you should help me do the dishes. Now get over here and help." She joked.

Quinn watched as Santana started rinsing the dishes and putting them in the dishwasher. Quinn cleaned off the stove and put the dirty pans in the sink. No words were exchanged between them as they went about completing their tasks. Quinn didn't know what to say to her and she didn't want to piss her off either. There was a comfortable silence between the two of them not awkward like it was the other night, which made Quinn happy. The silence was broken when Quinn's phone started beeping. She picked it up and noticed that she had a text from Amber. She wanted to get together for lunch this afternoon. Quinn replied, letting her know that she'd love to. It would give her time to get her thoughts together and get away from Santana for a little while.

Quinn placed the phone on the counter, "That was Amber, she invited me to lunch, will you be okay in here?"

Santana looked at her, "Yeah, I'm a big girl I can handle myself. I've done it for seven years and I'm still here."

Quinn looked away, properly chastised, "Sorry, I guess old habits die hard. I'm not used to seeing you so grown up and independent." She finished lamely.  _"Could you be any weirder, Fabray?"_  Quinn thought to herself.

Santana closed the dishwasher, "Go and have lunch with Amber. There's a marathon of Teen Mom on and I want to watch it since I didn't get a chance to catch up." Santana was actually happy that Quinn would be out of the house for a while.

Quinn walked past Santana and out of the kitchen, making her way upstairs to get ready. She hopped into the shower; hopefully the water would wash away all her feelings and confusion. Her mind is still trying to process that Santana is a lesbian and that she'd been in a relationship with Brittany. She had awesome gaydar, how she couldn't pick up on Santana was beyond her. A few minutes later, Quinn got out of the shower. Wrapping a big fluffy towel around her body, she went into the main bedroom. She took her time to get dressed she wasn't in a hurry. Her thoughts went back to Santana. She wondered if her parents knew about her being a lesbian.

Quinn was dressed and ready to go she had a little time to kill so she was going to head downstairs but stopped when she heard music coming from Santana's room. The door was slightly ajar but she didn't want to barge in there so she decided to knock.

Santana looked up from her magazine and motioned for Quinn to come in. She wasn't prepared to see the woman in a pair of dark blue jeans and a red sweater that came off the shoulder a little bit. She was in world of trouble. She watched as Quinn took a seat on the chair in front of her vanity, she had to look back at her magazine to prevent herself from perving on the woman in front of her.

"Sorry for the mess, I couldn't find my favorite lip gloss." She explained why her vanity was messy.

Quinn laughed, "It's okay, yours is actually in better condition than mine. I have to say I love what you've done with the room."

The girl looked around the room, "Thanks, I'm surprised mom and dad actually let me do it. I got tired of the girlie colors; I wanted something that suited me more. I like black."

Quinn tried looking everywhere except for the bed that Santana was sprawled out on, which was hard considering that she was laying on it, "I like it, it's totally you."

Santana looked up from her magazine brown eyes meeting hazel, "I thought you were meeting Amber for lunch?"

Quinn never took her eyes off of Santana, "I'm not meeting her until one thirty, and I have a few minutes to kill, so I wanted to hang out with you."

Santana tried her best to hide the small smile that was playing on her lips, she was actually hoping that Quinn would decide not to meet with Amber and stay home with her. She knew that wasn't going to happen. Santana looked away the intensity of looking at her drove her insane.

"So you decided to grace me with your presence before you go have lunch with your bestie. I feel the love." She said rolling her eyes and looking back at her magazine. Santana knew it was a bitch move but she didn't know what else to do.

"You're loved Santana, more than you actually know. So I was thinking, after I come back from lunch with Amber, you and I could watch a movie or go to the fair." She suggested.

"I'd like that, but the fair is out of the question, it's a school night. My curfew is eleven on Sundays, but we can always go to the movies." Santana really hoped that Quinn would break the rules at least once.

Quinn's smile turned mischievous, "Your parents aren't here and it's me that you're with, not your friends. So I'm sure it'll be alright."

Santana thought long and hard about this, she normally didn't go against her parents' rules, but this was Quinn, so it wouldn't make a difference. Her parents weren't home, so they really couldn't say anything, and maybe she could kiss Quinn again without any interruptions this time.

Santana bit her lip, "Just call me before you come home so I can be ready to go when you get here."

Quinn looked at her phone and saw that she needed to leave if she wanted to be there in time, "I have to go Santana; I'll see you when I get back."

Santana just waved her off and went back to looking at her magazine. She looked up a moment later to see Quinn walk away. She couldn't help herself; she just had to stare at that ass.

XOXOXOXOXO

Quinn pulled into the parking lot at Breadstix and saw Amber standing outside near the door. She got out of the car and made her way over to her best friend. They hugged for what seemed like an eternity. It was good to see her best friend again, even though they had seen each other less than a few months ago.

"I didn't think you were gonna make it, Fabray. You look fabulous as usual." Amber complimented her.

"You look amazing yourself, Jonathan is a lucky man. I wouldn't miss out on lunch with you; it's the highlight of my afternoon, well other than spending the morning with two teenagers." She didn't want to downplay the time she had with Santana and Brittany.

Amber held the door open for Quinn as they entered the restaurant. They waited for the hostess to show up so they could be seated. Quinn couldn't believe how much her best friend had changed since they'd last seen each other. Her usually long, brunette hair was now in a layered cut and she lost a little bit of weight as well. Quinn was definitely impressed.

The other woman was curious, "How did that work out for you? I mean I'm sure Brittany wasn't the problem, but I'm guessing Santana was another story."

Quinn shook her head, "You have no idea, I woke up this morning to them having a pillow fight, you don't know how badly I wanted to be that pillow."

A waitress seated them at their table, handed them the menus and took their drink orders. Quinn took the napkin and put it across her lap.

Amber tried not to laugh, "It was that good, huh? I still don't understand how one kiss could bring out all these thoughts and feelings in you. You just saw the girl a few days ago and now you're acting like a hormonal teenager."

Quinn worried her lip with her tongue she didn't know who to explain to her best friend how her feelings came about for Santana. "It started when I saw her getting out of her car on the first day I got back. Those Cheerios uniforms didn't help either. Anyway, then the kiss added fuel to the fire, as I said she wasn't kissing me like a timid little girl. She blew my fucking mind, and her touching my face kind of did me in." Quinn blushed.

Amber laughed, "Oh my God, little Santana Lopez has got you under her spell, kind of like when she was younger. She practically had you wrapped around her little finger."

The waitress brought them their drinks and took their orders. Quinn was still a little full from breakfast and she knew she'd be having dinner with Santana later, so she opted for a salad. Amber had no idea how spot on she was when she mentioned her being wrapped around Santana's finger. She didn't know what it was, maybe it was her charm, or maybe it was just Santana being Santana.

"She does not have me wrapped around her finger. It's wrong for me to have these not so pure thoughts about her. I used to baby sit her and give her baths, it's kind of weird to think that now. I have all these feelings about her, it feels creepy." Quinn explained.

Amber grabbed a bread stick, "You weren't perving on her when she was younger you were looking out for her. Now that she is older and almost legal, there's nothing wrong with it, you have to get over that mentality. Take Naya Rivera for instance, she was cute as a button when she was younger, she kind of reminds me of Santana in a way. I thought she was the cutest little thing I had ever seen, but now she is smoking hot. I may not be into girls like that, but for her I would totally bat for the other team. I know it's a little different because you watched Santana grow up, but you missed out on her transition to a young woman, so that takes the creepiness out of it." That was Amber's logic and she was sticking to it.

Quinn thought about what Amber was saying, but it still didn't make her feel better. She couldn't help but think about Santana's parent and what they would think if they found out how she felt. They would probably kick her out and tell her to stay away from their daughter. The waitress brought their food and they started to eat.

After much thought Quinn decided to speak, "I understand what you're saying, Amber, I really do, but what if Santana finds it gross? She sees me as an annoying big sister, and older big sister at that."

Amber was getting frustrated, "Quinn, you're overreacting right now, it's just feelings. It's not like you're having sex with her, you're just realizing how you feel. I don't think Santana would find it gross, that girl has been crazy for you ever since she was a little girl. Anyone with eyes could see it."

"That explains it." Quinn said out loud.

Amber looked at her with a raised eyebrow, "That explains what?"

"Why Santana was so angry with me. We lost contact a little while after I left and I made promises to her that I eventually ended up breaking. In the process I broke Santana's heart, because she had a huge crush on me." Quinn answered.

Amber chuckled, "No shit, Sherlock. Are you that slow, Fabray? How did you not know that Santana had a crush on you? The girl practically worshipped the ground you walked on, the way she would look at you and the glares that she would give Sam. Girl was crushing hard core; everyone on the squad saw it. You were her big love."

"I really was clueless back then. I made her favorite pancakes for breakfast this morning and later we are going to the fair. I am trying to make amends I don't want her to be upset for the rest of my visit." Quinn told her friend.

Amber offered her friend a piece of advice, "Just be yourself and be there for her now and for heaven's sake please don't make more promises that you know you can't keep."

They finished their lunch with small talk, moving on from Santana to Amber's upcoming wedding, her job and her life with Jonathan. It felt good to talk to her childhood friend about how she was feeling about Santana, and even though her friend told her it was alright for her to feel the way she did, it still gave her creepy vibes. She knew she'd have to get over it and realize that Santana was not a little girl anymore.

XOXOXOXOXO

Santana spent the better half of the afternoon tearing through her closet for something to wear. Normally, she would go for something sexy and a little flirty, but this time she wanted to go for practical and flirty. She didn't understand why she wanted to look special, it was just Quinn. The same Quinn she had loved since she was a little girl. But she wasn't a little girl anymore, she was a young woman and it was time that Quinn saw her that way. Santana finally came across the perfect outfit: a pair of black skinny jeans, a red sweater that wasn't too tight, but still hugged her in all the right places.

Now that that was done, she made her way to the shower. Santana didn't bother closing the bathroom door. She let out a sigh of contentment as the hot water cascaded over her body, the muscles in her back relaxing. She hadn't known how tense she was. Her favorite  _You Oughta Know_ was on the radio and she began singing along to it.

 _I want you to know, that I'm happy for you_  
I wish nothing but the best for you both  
An older version of me  
Is she perverted like me  
Would she go down on you in a theatre  
Does she speak eloquently  
And would she have your baby  
I'm sure she'd make a really excellent mother

As Santana started shampooing her hair, her mind drifted to the very first time Quinn shampooed her hair. It was a memory that she wouldn't ever forget. She was very young at the time, but she remembered it like it had happened yesterday.

_Santana is six when Quinn baby sits her for the first time. Her mother told Quinn that she doesn't take baths by herself yet because she's deadly afraid of water ever since she almost drowned in the swimming pool when her cousin threw her in, so her mom takes baths with her. Santana looks at the bathtub and then at Quinn, afraid to get into the tub. Quinn undressed and got in the bathtub first and now she's holding her arms out for Santana to get in._

" _You ready for your bath, munchkin?" Quinn asks the little girl._

_Santana shakes her head ferociously, "No, I don't want to take a bath, the water is scary." She protests crossing her arms._

" _I'm not going to let the water get you, I will keep you safe in my arms, and I won't let you go."_

_Quinn gives Santana a gentle, reassuring smile as she sees the little girl inching towards her little by little. Santana sees the warmth in Quinn's eyes drops her towel and climbs into the tub. True to her promise, Quinn doesn't let her go and Santana allows the girl to wash her off._

" _It's not so bad, is it?" Quinn asks the little girl sitting in between her legs._

_Santana shakes her head, "No it's not bad at all you make it fun." She replies as the wash cloth moves over her body. "Where you ever afraid of anything when you were my age?"_

_Quinn nods, "I was, I used to be afraid of leaving my closet door open. I thought monsters would come and get me ever since I saw this really scary movie, but I'm not afraid of it anymore." She reassures the little girl, "So when you get older, you won't be afraid of water anymore."_

_Santana turns her head around to look at Quinn, "I believe you." She gives her a small smile and turns back around._

_The older girl laughs softly to herself and rinses Santana off, "Alright, time to wash your hair. Cover your eyes so I can wet your hair."_

_Santana does as she's told and waits for the water to run down over her hair. Quinn makes sure not to get the water in her face. Santana feels Quinn's fingers gently massaging her scalp and combing through her hair. It's different from when her mother does it; she scrubs at her scalp, her way of making sure it's all clean. She leans into Quinn as she relaxes under the soft touch. Santana likes it, she wants Quinn to wash her head all the time, or whenever she comes over and baby sit._

" _I really like you washing my hair, Quinnie."_

_Quinn laughs. "I'm glad you do munchkin, now close your eyes so I can rinse your hair."_

_Santana enjoys her bath and getting her hair washed for the first time, all thanks to Quinn._

Santana turned the shower off and grabbed her towel before stepping out onto the bathroom rug. She felt better than she had in a while since Quinn showed up. It unsettled her a little bit to have the woman back in her life again. Of course she had explained her absence and why she had come back, but it didn't make sense why she chose to return at this moment. Yeah, her birthday was in a few days, but that still didn't explain why Quinn was really back. Santana walked back into her room, not really bothering to turn off the radio in the bathroom. She started to get dressed, unaware that she wasn't alone in the house.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Quinn tried calling the house on her way back from the restaurant, but her call was left unanswered. She figured that Santana didn't hear the phone ring. She couldn't call her cell phone because she didn't have the number, so she decided to just show up to the house. Quinn pulled her car into the driveway beside Santana's car and got out. She made her way up to the porch and let herself in with the key she was given. Quinn could hear the music coming from upstairs and she could hear Santana singing along.

"That explains why Santana didn't answer the phone." She said softly to herself.

Quinn took her shoes off at the door and made the journey upstairs, but stopped when she saw a very naked Santana standing in her room, getting dressed. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight in front of her, she let her eyes roam up and down the girls back. Quinn's mouth went dry for the second time that day at the sight of Santana's well-toned ass and thighs. To her, the little girl was definitely gone and in her place was a woman, albeit a young woman, but still a woman nonetheless. She didn't want to get caught, so she quietly made her way back down the stairs. To say she was a little flustered was the understatement of the century, but she couldn't help herself. The radio was shut off upstairs, so Quinn used this time to open the door and close it, pretending to have just entered the house.

"Santana? I'm back." She called upstairs.

"Okay. I'll be down in a minute." Santana's voice wafted down the stairs.

This gave Quinn a moment to get herself together, because hot damn, Santana is smoking hot. The image would forever be embedded in her mind, she felt kind of uneasy about it, but another part of her could have cared less. Quinn went into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water out of the refrigerator. She took a long drink and in fact emptied the bottle, turned around and put it in the recycle bin. When she turned back around, she spotted Santana dressed, this time.

"S-Santana! You nearly scared me; you need to make some noise when you enter the room." Quinn told her.

Santana smirked at her, "Next time I'll be sure to wear a bell so that you know where I am at all times. Did you enjoy lunch with Amber?" Santana sat on top of the counter, leaning backwards on her arms, clearly giving Quinn a view of her upper body. She was going to have fun tonight, at Quinn's expense, just a little game. No one was going to get hurt.

Quinn licked her lips, "Yeah, it was good to catch up with her, we're getting together again before I go back home." She was definitely appreciating the view.

Santana tried to hide her disappointment when Quinn mentioned going back to New York, Lima wasn't her home anymore. She'd get over it again, just like she always did or at least, she hoped she would. Quinn didn't mean for that to come out the way that she did the silence was deafening.

Santana didn't like where this was going she decided to change the subject, "I don't know about you, but I'm ready to have some fun. Do you want to drive or do you want me to?" She asked, hopping off the counter, giving Quinn another full view of her outfit.

Quinn couldn't stop herself from zoning out in the middle of what Santana was saying. She was mesmerized by Santana's sweater and how they made her breasts look. Quinn definitely deserved a one way ticket to hell, population billions, but at this time she didn't care.

Santana was very well aware of the effect she was having on Quinn. It gave her a thrill to be what Quinn wanted. She wasn't going to deny that she wanted her too, in the worst way, ever since the kiss they had shared in the basement. It had woken something up inside Santana that she realized had always been there, albeit dormant.

The teenager was smug, "Earth to Quinn?"

Quinn shook her head, "Sorry, I spaced out for a minute, what did you say again?"

Santana rolled her eyes, "Are you driving or am I?" It wasn't a very difficult question to answer.

"You can drive. You're not going to kill me, are you?" She asked jokingly.

Santana walked out of the kitchen and grabbed her keys off the key rack in the hallway, "I'm a very good driver. I haven't had a speeding ticket or accident in the past two years, you're in good hands, like Nationwide."

They put their shoes on and walked out the door, both heading to Santana's car. Santana popped the lock, opened the door for Quinn and waited until she got in before she closed it. Quinn's heart did a little leap. Santana slid in on the driver's side and started up the car before buckling her seat belt. Quinn followed her lead and put her seat belt on as well as Santana pulled out of the drive way and drove down the street.

"Do you do anything other than cheerleading and drama?" Quinn asked, breaking the silence.

Santana never took her eyes off the road, "I'm not in drama per se, but it was more like a Glee Club thing with a few Cheerios and football players thrown in. I'm in the Glee Club, but I don't know for how much longer since it's turned into the Rachel Berry and Blaine Anderson show. Mercedes already left to join Ms. Corchoran's Glee club along with the resident reject, Sugar Motta."

Quinn was very impressed with Santana, she wondered how she was able to do Glee and be on the Cheerios at the same time. Sue Sylvester had always hated the Glee Club and tried to find ways to bring them down.

"How did Sue ever agree to let you be in Glee Club and a Cheerio? That's really unheard of, unless she went soft."

"No, she didn't go soft, I secretly pledged my allegiance to the Glee Club after I was kicked out for setting a piano on fire." She said nonchalantly.

Quinn couldn't believe what she heard, "Wait, you set a piano on fire and you didn't get expelled? Why would you do something like that?"

"I did it because Sue wanted me to, besides I wanted to show her that I could be a good captain, instead of being co-captain with her mini clone Becky. I didn't set it on fire, but I did orchestrate the Cheerios to douse the piano with lighter fluid, while we were performing with Blaine. Carmen, this wannabe bad ass chick, flicked her cigarette on it, causing it go to up in flames. So really, it's not my fault." Santana shrugged.

"Wow, look at you trying to be badass, I always thought you were going to turn out to be a big softie." Quinn teased.

"The only things soft about me are my lips, which you should already know, my rambunctious twins, and my lovely lady parts." Santana told her casually.

Nothing else was said on the car ride to the fairgrounds, the only thing that could be heard in the car was the soft music playing from the stereo. Each girl was lost in their own thoughts, especially Quinn. She couldn't believe how Santana went from a sweet and caring girl to, well, a bitch. Quinn tried so hard not to think about Santana's naked body, which was just impossible. It was definitely going to be a long night for Quinn.


	19. Santana and Quinn Go To The Fair

They exited the car and made their way towards the entrance where Quinn paid for both of them. It turned into a small disagreement, because Santana felt like Quinn didn't have to pay for her. In the end, Quinn won and they entered the fair. This one was a lot bigger than the one Quinn had taken Santana to when she was younger.

"What do you want to do first?" Quinn asked.

Santana looked thoughtful for a minute, "We can walk around and see what rides they have and then we can go from there. I'm not in a rush, no curfew tonight, remember?" She brushed up against Quinn’s shoulder.

Quinn raised an eyebrow, "Even though you do have school tomorrow? We should get you home at a decent time." She told her in a semi-authoritive tone.

They walked toward the back of the fairgrounds where they had the horses and the petting zoo, a stage with music and a few places to play games. There was even a stand selling churros. Quinn looked over at Santana. She remembered Santana’s love of churros and how she had to have one every time they went to the fair or an amusement park.

“They have a churro stand over there. You want one?" Quinn asked she wondered if Santana still like them.

Santana shook her head, "No, not before I ride anything, last time that happened didn't turn out so well." She clearly remembered her throwing up on Sam.

Quinn laughed at that, "Yeah, you threw up all over Sam, what did you call him? I think it was guppy face or something." Santana had a lot of names for him.

Santana laughed, "Trouty Mouth. I actually wrote a song about it last year for us to use at regionals, but Mr. Schue said it didn't have an epic feel to it." She and Tina put a lot of time into that song.

It was Quinn’s turn to laugh, "You wrote a song about him? You'll have to sing it to me sometime, how did anyone ever keep a straight face?"

“I am not singing Trouty Mouth for you. That song got weirdly sexy when it came to the second verse.” She still couldn’t get over writing that song, Tina couldn’t keep a straight face. “So tell me about your life in New York?" Santana asked casually.

Quinn looked thoughtful,"I'm a psychologist now, I work with adolescents, and I’m pretty successful. I have a nice loft on the Upper East Side with a wonderful view of the skyline. You would love it, I mean if you were to get a chance to visit, you know without it being a school trip that is." She tried to cover herself.

Santana couldn't pass up the opportunity, "Quinn, are you inviting me to visit you in New York?" She tried to hide her excitement.

Quinn blushed, "If that's what you got from it, then more power to you." She didn’t know what Santana’s plans were after she graduated. She knew that she needed to find out though.

They continued walking side by side, their hands lightly bumping up against each other. Neither said anything, they just enjoyed the others company. They came across the Tunnel of Love and Quinn stopped in front of it.

"Let's get on this; I've never been on this ride before." She looked at Santana.

Santana looked at Quinn in confusion, “I’ve never been on this ride before either. I’m willing to get on it with you.”

Quinn pulled Santana to the back of the line that was formed there, she didn't mind waiting. It would give her more time to talk to Santana, without her being hostile. To Quinn, it was good talking to the girl. She had missed out on so much, but now she vowed not to miss out on anything else in her life.

"Thank you for going on this ride with me, it'd suck to go by myself." Quinn didn’t realize that her hand was still in Santana’s.

Santana felt the warmth of Quinn’s hand and reveled in the feeling, "It's no big deal; you had to do a lot of things when I was younger, so this is payback." Santana laughed.

Quinn wanted to say something but was interrupted by her phone ringing. Santana tried not to get annoyed, but they were always getting interrupted by something. She really hoped this phone call was important. This was supposed to be their time together not everyone else. Quinn had let go of Santana’s hand.

"Hello?" Quinn answered the phone.

"Hey lady, you not ready to come back to New York yet? We miss you here." Melissa's voice flitted over the line.

Quinn was a little surprised, "I miss you too, so what's going on? You called me like twice in one day." Quinn asked.

Santana tried not to eavesdrop on the conversation, but it was kind of hard. She pulled out her phone and started playing _'Words with Friends'_. She could hear the other woman's voice on the phone and she couldn't help but wonder what that woman meant to Quinn.

Melissa could detect a hint of disappointment in her voice, “Maybe I just missed you. Seriously, though, I was wondering how it's going with Santana? I know this morning you got off to a rocky start, so I was wondering how it was going now?" Melissa honestly wanted to know.

Quinn hesitated for a little bit trying to find a way to answer without drawing attention to herself from Santana."Everything's fine with my mom, wish she was here at the fair with me and Santana. It would have been a good chance for us to spend some quality time together."

 Melissa knitted her eyebrows in confusion at Quinn's response, she didn't mention anything about her mom, but she finally caught on when she heard Santana's name and a mention of quality time. Quinn was at the fair with Santana.

"That's a good thing, right? She's not giving you any teenage attitude?" Melissa asked again.

Quinn saw that Santana had moved up and she walked up beside her, glancing between the line and the girl playing a game on her phone.

"For the most part, yes, but we will have to see how it goes. I really hate to cut this short, but we're waiting in line for the ride. I'll see you when I get back next week." Quinn told her friend.

Melissa chuckled, "You most definitely will, gorgeous. Don't get too caught up, remember she's just a teenager and not one of your clients."

Quinn rolled her eyes at her friend's comment; she knew that Santana was a teenager. She didn't need a reminder of that, but she would be eighteen in a few days, so she'd no longer be considered a minor.

"Bye Mel." Quinn hung up the phone, "Sorry about that, Melissa is being a pain in the ass today." She apologized.

Santana looked up from her phone, "It's all good. So who is Melissa?" She tried not to sound jealous.

Quinn cleared her throat, "Melissa is a friend of mine in New York, we met through one of my friends, well our friend."

"Sounds good, everybody needs friends, no matter where they are." She obviously knew that Quinn would have friends no matter where she went.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

The line continued moving until they were the next to get on the ride. The ride attendant helped them into the car and it started moving around the track. It was dark on the inside, but there were little lights and different scenes as the car went slowly by. There was music in the background, it wasn't as romantic looking as in movies, but it was pretty nice. They enjoyed the ride as it was moving along slowly, a little too slowly for Santana's liking. All she wanted to do was get off this ride, she was sitting entirely too close to Quinn and she could smell her perfume. It was very light, yet intoxicating. Santana didn't remember Quinn smelling like Twilight Woods from Bath and Body Works; she remembered her smelling like apples and cinnamon. This was something that she was going to have to get used to.

"Why did you come back Quinn? I mean the real reason?" Santana asked, breaking the comfortable silence.

Quinn was at a loss for an answer, because she honestly didn't know why either. Mostly because it was Santana's birthday and she was kind of homesick. It had been a while since she had seen everyone, and she meant it when she told Santana that she didn't want to miss out on anything else in her life.

"I came back for many reasons. Your birthday, feeling homesick, missing everybody and everything that is Lima. New York is awesome and so much better, but sometimes I miss the small things." Quinn paused before speaking again, "You also graduate this year, and you'll be going off to college, and I don't want you pissed at me for missing out on those things."

Santana didn't know what to say to that, it wasn't an answer she was expecting. Quinn came back because of her. Santana's heart skipped a couple of beats at this new-found information. Maybe Quinn really did love her, but probably more as a little sister. The ride came to an end and they got out of the car with the help of the attendant.

"I have to admit as cheesy as that ride was, it was nice." Santana teased, it wasn’t as bad as she thought it was going to be.

They started walking with no particular destination in mind; they were just content in each other's company. They were holding hands again and Quinn noticed how soft Santana’s hands were. She tried not to think about all the times she held her hand when she was younger.

"Let's go play some games and see if we can win stuffed animals, or maybe a goldfish or two." Quinn suggested.

Santana looked over at Quinn, "Sounds like fun, lead the way." She hoped that she could win another stuffed animal. She really missed Sir Snow Paw.

Santana stopped abruptly in front of the ring toss game, causing Quinn to bump into her. Santana saw Rachel and Finn throwing darts at the balloons hanging on the wall. The last thing she needed was Rachel to see her and Quinn together. She wasn't ashamed, but she just knew that she wouldn't hear the end of it. She was praying to whoever was listening that they wouldn't see her as they continued walking. Little did she know that the couple in question was watching them.

"Have you decided on what you want to play?" Quinn asked.

Santana smiled, "Yep, let’s play the clown game where you shoot water in his mouth." She pointed to where a couple of kids and adults were playing.

Quinn laughed, "Isn't that the game you played when you won Sir Snow Paw?"

"Y-you remember Sir Snow Paw?" This surprised the teenager a great deal. She honestly thought Quinn forgot about him and her.

Quinn turned and faced Santana, "Remember Sir Snow Paw? Sir Snow Paw has made a home on my bed; he's been great company through the years."

Santana tried to look somewhere other than Quinn's eyes, but it was kind of hard considering the woman was taller than she was. She was afraid of what she would see there and that it would something that she didn't want to see, at least not yet. "Why didn't you give him away? You had no problem with turning your back on me."

Quinn sighed, "I didn't give him away because you gave him to me, and he’s special, just like you are Santana. Even though I lost contact with you, I always thought about you. Your mom e-mailing me pictures and videos of you made me so proud, it made me feel close to you. Sir Snow Paw made me feel close to you. I know how much you loved that dog, you took him everywhere you went and you gave him to me to keep me safe because bad things happen in New York. I can apologize until I'm blue in the face, but I'm not going to let you continue holding this over my head." She finished.

Santana didn't know what to say, she wasn't expecting this, not in the middle of the fair with people walking around them. She was afraid at who might have overheard the conversation, afraid that if anyone saw this it would get around school. Santana looked around and saw that no one was really paying attention to them, but she did realize that she was still holding Quinn's hand.

"Quinn, I..." She started, but she was interrupted.

"Save it, Santana, there isn't anything else to be said. Let's just enjoy the rest of this night okay?" Honestly Quinn wanted to drop the whole subject all together. Tonight was meant to be fun and a way for them to connect again.

Santana's head was spinning; she didn't know what to make of Quinn's confession. A little more of her resolve started to crumble after hearing Quinn explain things to her. She didn't know whether to be happy or sad about her revelation. They continued walking in silence until they stopped in front of the Ferris wheel the games were long forgotten.

"Seriously Quinn? The Ferris wheel? I thought these were outlawed for being so lame." Santana scoffed.

Quinn rolled her eyes, "It's fun Santana, you'll be able to see the skyline and it's almost sunset. It's not that bad, unless you're afraid of heights."

Santana crossed her arms, "I'm not afraid of heights." She said with false bravado, "It's just that it goes super slow, it's not thrilling at all."

"We're going. Come on, Tana." She teased, using the name that her friends used to call her.

Santana watched as Quinn went to get in line, she followed reluctantly behind her. Rachel watched in amusement; she had never seen Santana like this, not even with Brittany. Quinn was Santana's kryptonite. Santana made her way over to the line and stood beside Quinn, who was watching the people walking by.

"I can't believe you called me Tana." She wasn’t amused she hated being called that.

Quinn laughed, "I think it's a cute nickname, a lot more grown up than munchkin, you're not little anymore," She told her, "So until I can come up with something more grown up for you, I will call you Tana, like everyone else."

Santana grumbled, "Not everyone calls me Tana, and not in public either."

"I highly disagree with that Tana." A voice from behind her said.

Santana turned around to see who it was. She was about to go all Lima Heights when she realized that it was Tina and her little sister. Santana's features softened at the sight of the little girl standing in front of her sister.

"Hey Tina." She greeted the older girl and then knelt down to greet the younger girl, "Hey rayita del sol."

The little girl beamed at her and gave Santana a huge hug, which Santana returned eagerly. Santana wasn't too fond of little kids, but Tina's little sister Isabella charmed her way into her heart. Quinn was watching the scene in front of her unfold. She remembered Santana doing the same thing to her when she was little.

"Hi Tana! I didn't know you were going to be here, when are you gonna come over and hang with me and Tina. I miss you." The little girl mentioned to Santana with a hint of sadness in her voice.

Santana laughed at the enthusiasm of the little girl, "I miss you too, baby girl, tell you what? I will come over next Sunday and we can hang out."

The little girl nodded her head in agreement, "Okay." That was enough to satisfy her, at least for now.

"I don't know what she sees in you." Tina laughed.

Santana rolled her eyes, "I'm awesome, deal with it."

Quinn cleared her throat to remind Santana that she was standing right there. This caused both teens and the little girl to look over in her direction.

"Sorry, Quinn." Santana started, "You remember Tina don't you?" She asked.

Quinn smiled, "Of course I do, it's nice to see you again Tina. Who is this beautiful little lady with you?"

Tina smiled, "It's good to see you again too Quinn. This is my little sister Isabella, she's five."

"Hi Isabella, it's very nice to meet you." She greeted the little girl.

Isabella smiled, "It's nice to meet you too, Quinn. You can't have Tana, she's mine."

Quinn couldn't help but laugh, Santana would say that all the time when she introduced her to her friends. She was always claiming Quinn as “hers” it was very cute, but now that she knows everything it means something totally different to her now.

"I'm not going to take Tana away from you," Quinn paused before replying, "We can share Tana, since I don't live here anymore, you can look out for her for me. How does that sound?”

Isabella smiled brightly, jumping up and down, "It sounds good. I keep Tana here."

"I'm standing right here." Santana replied.

Everyone was conversing as the line kept moving toward the entrance of the ride. Quinn found out that Tina was adopted along with her little sister Isabella, she was in Glee Club with Santana and she dated the kid in the wheelchair, Artie. She also learned that Tina and Santana met the summer before Santana started middle school. For Quinn, it was good to get to know the people in Santana's life, it made her feel less like an outsider. It was Santana and Quinn's turn to get on the ride as they said their goodbyes to Tina and her sister.

Quinn got in first followed, by Santana. Once they were inside, the guy closed the small gate and the ride started. They had a great view of the city and of the sunset, the sky was blue, pink, purple and the slightest hint of orange. It was a very beautiful sight and Quinn was happy to share it with Santana.

"I told you it was going to be beautiful."

Santana tried not to smile, "Finally you got something right, Fabray. It's very beautiful."

No other words were exchanged as the ride kept going slowly around in a circle. Santana's mind was in overdrive, she didn't know if she could finally forgive Quinn or if it was too soon. To Santana, Quinn was only here temporarily and when she left, reality would come back and everything she had ever wanted would be taken away from her again. The problem was, she didn't know how long it was going to last this time. She decided that she wasn't going to worry about that and just enjoy the time that she had, after all it was better than nothing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	20. Santana and Quinn Have A Heartfelt Talk

The fair was a very good outing for both Quinn and Santana. It gave them an opportunity to spend some quality time with each other. They rode a couple of more rides and even played a few games in which Santana won Quinn a panther and Quinn won Santana a white Siberian tiger  a stuffed animal match made in heaven.

"Why don't we go get something to eat?" Quinn suggested.

Santana smiled, "I'm ready to get my eat on." She hadn't eaten anything since breakfast this morning.

"What are you in the mood for, my lady?" Quinn asked, but then added, "Please don't say  _Breadstix_. I had that for lunch this afternoon."

The teenager pouted, "For your information, I wasn't going to say  _Breadstix_ ; I want to go to  _Chili's_. Don't get me wrong, I can eat the never-ending breadsticks all day, but the carbs alone would make Sue to flip."

Quinn laughed at that; she knew Sue Sylvester's opinion about carbs and other unhealthy food. One time, Sue found out that Amber and her had shared a pizza one day and she'd made them go on a master cleanse for two weeks. " _Chili's_  it is." Quinn didn’t want Santana to have to go through that.

Quinn and Santana made their way towards the exit, but they were stopped by Rachel. Santana scoffed and rolled her eyes, she had been sure that she could avoid running into the infuriating wannabe Broadway superstar. She knew that she probably wouldn't hear the end of this when they got to school the next day.

"Hi Santana, it's good to see you here tonight with Quinn," She turned to Quinn, "Hello, Quinn, it's good to see you again."

Quinn smiled, "It's good to see you again Rachel. How are you?"

Rachel beamed, "I'm doing very well, Quinn, thank you for asking. I'm here with Finn; we're on a date so my dads can have some time to themselves."

Santana rolled her eyes, "A date to the fair, The Jolly Green Giant couldn't think of anything less lame?"

Finn wanted to say something but was interrupted by Rachel, "For your information Santana, I requested to come to the fair, it’s fun and I haven't been since I was a little girl." Rachel answered, never taking her eyes off Quinn.

Santana glared at the smaller girl in front of her, it took her a lot to no reach out and go all Lima Heights on her ass. “That is very sweet of him, if you would excuse us we were leaving to get something to eat.”

Rachel smiled, "It was good to see you again too, Quinn, hopefully we will get to see you again soon, maybe at sectionals next week."

XOXOXOXOOXO

Santana pulled at Quinn's arm and led her out of the fair, not wanting to hear Rachel say anything else. They walked to Santana's car in silence, neither one of them not knowing what to say to one another. Santana popped the lock on her car and they got in, throwing their animals in the backseat.

"Do you still want to go to  _Chili's_?" Quinn asked as Santana pulled out of the parking lot.

"Yes, of course, if you still want to go." Santana answered, driving them to their destination.

There was no further exchange between the two of them; the car was silent again, except for the music playing lightly on the radio. Quinn wondered if Santana thought this was a date or not. She shouldn’t be thinking things like this but curiosity got the best of her.

"Can I ask you a question, Santana?" Quinn asked suddenly.

Santana didn't take her eyes off the road, "You can ask me a million questions, Quinn. You're not a child, you don't have to ask."

Quinn thought carefully about what she wanted to ask, "So you're going to Sectionals? I heard Rachel mention it back there." That wasn't the question that she wanted to ask, she figured she'd save that one for later if there was a later.

"Yeah, that's the plan." Santana was silently cursing Rachel in her head.

"Why didn't you mention it?" Quinn asked, clearly not wanting to let it go.

Santana sighed, "I didn't think it would be important, besides it's not like you're going to be here anyway. Aren't you leaving next week to go back to your life in New York?"

Quinn was confused about how they got here, the evening had been perfect. They were talking and laughing, enjoying themselves and now it's made a turn for the worse. This is not how she wanted this night to go, she wanted to bond with Santana and clear the air. She wanted to blame Rachel, but she knew it wasn't her fault.

Santana was having a similar thought process. The night had been a good one, not at all strained as she thought it would be. She felt herself being a little less guarded around Quinn, who was still the same, but just grown-up. This was all Rachel's fault; if the dwarf wouldn't have stopped them, then they wouldn't be in this situation. Santana knew she was being unfair to Quinn, but she didn't want to get hurt again.

"You're not being fair, Santana, I think I can rearrange my schedule so I can be there. I am my own boss, it's not that hard. And yes, I do have a life back in New York, but I also have a life here. I haven’t learned how to balance the two of them yet." Quinn explained.

Santana exhaled lightly, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Sectionals. I honestly thought it wouldn't be important to you and you're leaving next week, so what would have been the point?"She pulled the car into the parking lot of  _Chili's_. This was not how she had wanted this evening to go. All she'd wanted was to enjoy being with Quinn and the time that they had together, because she didn't know how long it would be until she saw her again.

Quinn turned to face Santana. She reached out her hand to touch her face softly to get the girl to look at her. Santana was being stubborn, but Quinn eventually got her to look at her.

"You're important to me, Santana, anything that has to do with you is important to me. I missed out on so much during those years that I was absent. I don't want to miss out on anything else in your life, I want to be there for everything, if only you would let me," Quinn continued looking at the girl, or rather young woman, in front of her, "What do you say?" She finished.

Santana didn't know what to say, she was feeling so many things. Just when she was putting her walls back up, Quinn started tearing them down. She wanted to say something, but the words just weren't coming out. She wanted to tell Quinn that she had loved her since she was little, and that she had broken her heart the day that she left. That things hadn't been the same with her ever since, but she couldn't bring herself to say that. Without thinking about it, she leaned into Quinn's touch, her soft hand warm on her cheek, sending shivers down her spine.

"I want you to be there, Quinn, more than anything in this world," Santana replied never taking her eyes off the hazel eyed beauty in front of her, "I always want you there. Now let's feed me, because I'm hungry and I'm sure you are too." The moment had been too intense for her.

The spell was broken between them, and Quinn removed her hand from Santana's cheek. Neither one of them knew what this moment meant, but Quinn could feel a shift between them. She didn't know if it was good or bad. What she really wanted to know was whether Santana had felt it too?

Quinn smiled, "We don't want you starve. Let's go, princess."

They got out of the car and made their way to the restaurant, where they were immediately greeted by their hostess and led to a table. The hostess put the menus on the table and told them that their server would be with them shortly, leaving the pair alone. Quinn picked up the menu and glanced over it, trying to see if anything caught her attention. It was also a way to keep herself from looking at Santana and her lips.

"Have you decided what you want, Santana?" Some habits will never die for Quinn.

Santana put her menu down, "I'm getting the baby back ribs, with a baked potato, and the broccoli, carrot and cauliflower blend."

"That sounds good; I think I'll have the same." She put her menu down.

The server made her way over to the table, had her eyes on Santana. "Hi and welcome to  _Chili's_ , I'm Faith and I will be your server tonight. Are you ready to order?" She asked, still looking at Santana.

Santana gave her a small smile "There is more than one person at this table and I would appreciate it if you addressed her as well. I know I'm the hottest piece of ass in here, but that doesn't mean that you can be rude to my companion."

Faith straightened up visibly after being chastised by the girl in front of her. She was so embarrassed that she just wanted to run and hide. Quinn loved every minute of it, she loved a feisty Santana.

She turned to Quinn, "I'm sorry about that, I was incredibly rude. Could I interest you for an appetizer and drinks?"

Quinn smiled, her hazel eyes shimmering, "It's quite alright, but I am ready to order. I would like a diet Coke and the lady over here would like a Coke. We'll take the spinach and artichoke dip with extra dip," She looked over at Santana, "Do you want to order our meal as well or wait til we get the appetizer, babe?"

Santana bit her lip, "Let's go ahead and place our order, the sooner we get our food the sooner we can go home, honey."

They placed the rest of their order and watched as Faith walked off hurriedly, leaving them alone. Quinn didn't know what had gotten into her, but it was fun. She could tell that Santana was totally into it too.

"You are so bad, Quinn Fabray." Santana smirked.

She laughed, "I was born this way, Santana Lopez."

Quinn wanted to say something but was interrupted by Santana's phone.

" _We found love in a hopeless place_

_We found love in a hopeless place"_

Quinn watched as Santana picked up her phone.

"Hello? Hi mom." She rolled her eyes.

"How are you? You're not being mean to Quinn, are you?" Maribel asked her daughter.

"No mom, I'm not. Everything has been good; as a matter of fact Quinn and I are having dinner at  _Chili's_. How are daddy and Tia Lisa?"

Quinn tried not to listen in to the conversation going on between the Santana and her mom. She let go of the breath she didn't know she was holding when she heard Santana telling her mom that they were out having dinner.

"Tell daddy I love him and give everyone my love and I will see you tomorrow. Alright, hold on," Santana gave the phone to Quinn, "Mom wants to talk to you."

Quinn took Santana's phone as the food arrived to the table. Faith gave her a little smirk and turned to walk away, sashaying her hips a little as she did so. Santana started on her meal, trying not to pay attention to what Quinn and her mother were talking about.

"You know, I don't mind at all, take your time and we'll be fine. I'll let Santana know and we will see you on Tuesday. Have a good night and give everyone my condolences. Bye!" She handed the phone back to Santana.

"What did my mom say?" Santana asked.

Quinn looked at her, "Your parents will be back on Tuesday instead of on Monday because your dad wants to spend a little more time with your abuelita. You're stuck with me for another day."

Santana smirked, "It's okay, I think I'm going to like being stuck with you."

Quinn couldn't help but smile at that and started on her meal as well. She couldn't believe how this evening was turning out. It felt like she was getting her Santana back, the one she remembered from all those years ago, but in a more grown-up version. They made small talk, just enjoying each other's company.

The drive back to the house was a quiet one, save for the radio playing lightly in the car. Dinner had been a delightful event for the both of them, it was definitely needed. No pressure or no stress, just two people having fun. Santana pulled her car into the driveway. The night was quiet and there was a slight breeze blowing, it had been a perfect night even if they would never admit it to each other.

They made their way into the house. Quinn looked at the clock and then back at Santana. "We made it in five minutes before your curfew. Looks like we didn't break the rule after all."

Santana smiled, "Even if we did, it would have been totally worth it. Thanks for tonight, it really meant a lot to me. Do you want to watch some TV before I go to bed?"

Quinn smiled and followed Santana up the stairs with her panther in hand, "Give me a minute to change and I'll meet you downstairs."

"We can watch TV in my room, everything looks better in HD and you can get really comfortable. I mean if that's what you want." Santana amended.

Quinn was in conflict with herself. If they watched TV downstairs, they'd be safe because there were chairs. If they watched television in Santana's room, they'd be on her bed, a bed that had black satin sheets and a black comforter. She realized that Santana was looking at her. How could she say no?

"Let me change and I will meet you there in five." She walked passed Santana and into the guest room.

Santana entered her room, placed her tiger on the chair in the corner and changed herself. She didn't want the night to end; she didn't know what was happening with them or with herself. The anger that she had felt toward Quinn was slowly disappearing and being replaced with something she couldn't quite put her finger on. Whatever it was, she wasn't going to question it. Instead, she'd just go with the flow. She grabbed the remote and climbed into her bed. She was flipping through channels until she landed on the _"Sex and the City"_ movie.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Quinn was having a crisis of epic proportions in the guest room. She was going to be on the bed with Santana something she wasn’t ready for. The rational part of her just wanted to stay in her room, but the other part wanted to be with Santana. It was as if she is being forced with her own _Sophie’s Choice._ In the end she decided to go to Santana’s room.

Santana was sitting against the headboard, her feet planted firmly on the bed. Her shorts didn't leave much to the imagination. Quinn composed herself and made her way further into the room.

"May I?" She pointed to the bed.

Santana smiled, "Sure," She patted the bed beside her, inviting Quinn to sit, "I chose  _Sex and the City,_ I hope you don't mind.

Quinn sat down next to Santana but left a little space between them, she didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable.

"I like  _Sex and the City_. I was there when they filmed some of the scenes, it was great." Quinn replied.

"That is so awesome, I can't wait to get out of Lima, anywhere is better than here. New York was awesome; I definitely want to go there again."

Quinn couldn't help but agree with her on that point. She missed the small town, but nothing compared to New York.

"They have good universities in New York; Columbia, NYU and a few others, you should look into them." Quinn suggested.

Santana smiled, "I definitely will."

They watched the movie in silence, laughing occasionally. It was a great way to end the evening. Quinn kept looking at Santana out the corner of her eye. She saw that Santana was stretched out on the bed next to her, it was a beautiful sight. She took that has her queue to lie down next to her. Quinn couldn't believe how soft her bed was. It was a lot softer than the bed she remembered her having before.

"Quinn?"

Quinn turned her head and saw Santana looking intently at her, "Yes?"

Santana licked her lips, "I'm glad you're back, I really missed you. I spent so much time wanting you to come back, but you never did, and now you're here. Did you mean it when you said that I was important to you?"

Quinn brought her hand down to move a stray piece of hair that had fallen into Santana's face. Something she had done a million times before.

"I do mean it, together with my mom you are the most important person to me. You had me from the first day I met your cute self. You had me wrapped around your finger." Without thinking she moved closer to Santana, their faces inches apart from each other.

"You broke my heart when you left and I hated you for it. The e-mails and the phone calls made it a little better, but it wasn't the same." Santana replied.

Quinn smiled ruefully, "I'm sorry, Santana, I didn't know it would hurt you so much. I'm sorry for not being there for you. I'm going to try and be better this time when I go back to New York. You're very special to me. I love you very much."

Santana bit her lip lightly, her heart was beating ten times faster than normal, "I love you too, Quinn, like never before."

"You're still my favorite girl?" Quinn asked her, lightly stroking Santana's cheek.

Santana smiled, "Always."

Time stood still and neither knew who made the first move, but Quinn was surprised when she felt Santana's soft lips n hers. The moment she'd been waiting for was finally there and she wasn't complaining. She ran her tongue lightly against Santana's bottom lip, asking for entrance. She felt her lips part and slid her tongue into Santana's mouth. The kiss was hot and full of passion. Fireworks seemed to go off. They pulled apart when oxygen became and issue. They were both breathless, their foreheads touching. The room was a lot hotter than it had been before, but that didn't matter.

"Stay with me tonight?" Santana asked.

Quinn smiled, "I thought you'd never ask."

Santana put her hand in Quinn's as Quinn wrapped her arms around Santana. Quinn knew that it was wrong, but for the first time ever she realized that it felt so right. The movie was forgotten as they both fell into a peaceful slumber.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	21. Santana and Quinn The Morning After

Monday morning arrived and Santana didn't want to get up, she wanted to stay in bed. She knew that she had no choice, so she opened her eyes. She immediately noticed two unusual things: it wasn't time to wake up yet and she wasn't by herself. She looked over to her right and saw Quinn still sleeping soundly behind her. Santana couldn't help but smile at the sight in front of her. She thought back to the night before. She hadn't expected to kiss her again, but it had happened and there was something different about this kiss. Santana couldn't figure out what it was, but she knew she would eventually. She lay back down in the bed and got comfortable, careful not to wake up the sleeping beauty beside her.

The alarm clock went off, startling Quinn from her sleep. She reached over and turned it off. She was surprised that Santana hadn't woken up, but then she remembered that she could sleep through anything. She took a moment to admire the moment in front of her a sleeping Santana curled in fetal position, strands of her hair covering her face. Without hesitation, she moved the offending pieces of hair out of the way. Santana looked so peaceful laying there that Quinn didn't have the heart to wake her up, but she knew that she had to.

Quinn rubbed the girls back softly, "Santana? It's time to wake up, sweetie, you have to go to school."

Santana moved away, putting the pillow over her head. She was content lying in the bed."I don't want to get up, I'm comfortable." She whined.

Quinn took the pillow off her head and hit her with it, "You have to go to school, now get up and get ready. I'll fix you breakfast." She didn’t realize how stubborn Santana was when it came to waking up in the morning.

 Santana got up and snatched the pillow away from Quinn, "Don't ever do that again, or I will ends you." She smirked. It’s a crime against humanity to wake up this early for school.

Quinn couldn't help but laugh, "That tough girl act doesn’t work on me I know what you're really like. So try again chica. Good morning sunshine."

Santana tried not to blush, but wasn't successful, "Good morning, Goldilocks." That’s as good as she can get as far as nicknames go. Santana was pretty sure that she would have a lot more later on.

They both laughed at the use of one of Santana's nickname for her, it made Quinn feel good. She thought that Santana would have forgotten everything about her, but she was surprised to be proven wrong. They continued looking at each other, not really knowing what to do next until Santana got out of bed.

Santana sighed softy as she got out of bed, "I have to get dressed and you have to go make me some breakfast." It wasn’t a demand but more of a request.

Quinn rolled her eyes, "What happened to  _please_?" She asked, still sitting on the bed.

Santana smiled, "Please, Quinnie?" She pulled out the big guns.

Quinn wasn’t falling for the act even though she wanted to, "That doesn't work on me anymore, Tana. Now go do what you normally do to get ready for school and I will go get breakfast ready."

Quinn got out of the bed and walked out of Santana's room, leaving the teenager to herself. She slept peacefully for the first time in a long time, who knew Santana would make the perfect sleeping pill. When she was in New York, her mind was all over the place with her patients and her work schedule. Here she was actually able to relax and she hadn't even thought about work. She made her way downstairs and into the kitchen, gathering everything she needed to make breakfast for her and Santana. Quinn was pleased about how the night before had turned out. It was a step in the right direction, but she knew that it was just the beginning and she was afraid of what was going to happen next. The kiss that they shared the night before was still on her mind. She still couldn't believe that it happened again naturally this time, not as part of a game. She had thought that Santana would freak out and back away. It made her feel good that she hadn't. Quinn tried to push the thought out of her mind, not wanting to burn the bacon.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

The shower did not help Santana wake up at all if anything it made her want to go back to bed. She put on her Cheerios uniform, but all she wanted to do was to get back into bed and cuddle with Quinn. She used to love doing that when she was younger. Now the Quinn downstairs gave the best cuddles and kisses something she loves. Santana pulled her hair into the regulatory ponytail, grabbed her book bag and headed downstairs. She was greeted by the smell of bacon and French toast, two of her favorite breakfast dishes. She dropped her book bag by the door and made her way to the kitchen, the sight of Quinn in a pair of yoga pants and a tank top made her heart race. No one was supposed to look that sexy in the morning, except her of course.

"I am up and ready for school." Santana sat down at the table.

Quinn placed a plate in front of Santana, “The infamous Cheerios uniform some things never change. Do you ever get to wear regular clothes to school?”

Santana watched as Quinn sat down next to her, “No and to be honest I miss regular clothes. The only time I wore regular clothes to school happened in junior year when Brittany and I quit Cheerios.”

Quinn knitted her eyebrows together this was brand new information, “Why did you quit the Cheerios?”

“Well, Coach Sylvester wanted to shoot Brittany out a cannon for Nationals, but Nationals also happened to be on the day of McKinley’s big game. We had to choose between glee club and Cheerios, we had chosen Cheerios but after a pep talk from Finn, we chose glee club instead of Cheerios.” Santana explained between bites of food.

The more Quinn talked to Santana the more she learned about her, “Now you’re back on the Cheerios and in glee club. I guess you did learn some things from me you rebel you.”

Santana smiled, “I was always told to listen to you when I was younger I guess some things stuck. What are you going to do today while I am at school?”

Quinn finished chewing, "I'm going to go to my mom's and take care of some things there, check my e-mail and check in at the office. You know the usual. I'm not sure what I'll do next. Why do you ask?"

Santana became a little nervous about what she wants to ask, “Why don’t you come to Cheerios practice this afternoon? I think the squad could benefit from having the legendary Quinn Fabray there.”

"I'm not a legend, I just survived Sue Sylvester. You really want me to come up to the school this afternoon?" Quinn asked, clearly amazed. This was a complete one eighty from a few nights before.

Santana pushed her food around on her plate, "That's if you want to, of course. I just thought you would like to see what the squad is like this year," She looked at the clock. "I gotta go, Quinn, thanks for breakfast. It was delicious." Santana made her way to the door.

"Have a good day and I'll see you later." Quinn called after the girl; she was relieved to have some time to herself.

She got up from the table and proceeded to clean up the dishes from breakfast, realizing how much she had missed cooking for Santana. Cooking was very relaxing for her and she loved the way Santana enjoyed her food, even when she was a little girl. Maribel had told her that Santana was a very fussy eater, but Quinn got her to eat other things besides lasagna, broccoli and chicken nuggets. Quinn went upstairs and got dressed. She decided to head home to take care of her business before going to McKinley High.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Santana made it to school with twenty minutes to spare. She entered the building and went straight to her locker, where Brittany was waiting for her. This was their usual morning routine something they perfected since they were freshmen.

"Hey, Santana!" Brittany greeted her cheerily. Santana found it endearing how Brittany could be so full of energy on a Monday morning.

"Hey, Britt." Santana greeted her back as she opened her locker to get her books for her first two classes.

Santana could tell that Brittany was dying to ask her questions about the rest of the weekend with Quinn. Many people find it hard to read the girl but Santana knew everything about Brittany Susan Pierce.

"How did it go with you and Quinn after I left? Did you finally give her a chance?" She asked wanting to know. Brittany had to keep herself from calling Santana last night to find out how everything went.

Santana couldn't help but smile, "It went great; we went to the fair and then out to dinner. The usual things that people do together.”

Santana closed her locker and linked her pinky with Brittany’s. The two Cheerios walked down the hallway to their first class, which they shared. They took their usual seats in the back of the class and waited for the bell to ring.

Brittany smirked, "Was it a date or was it just the two of you hanging out?"

Santana gave a small smile, "We just hung out and had a good time, that's all." That part was true they did hang out.

Mike approached them, "Who hung out and had a good time?" He asked as he kissed his girlfriend on the cheek, "Hey, Tana." He greeted her before taking his seat next to Brittany.

Brittany was literally bouncing in her seat, "Quinn and Santana went out on a date last night. They probably shared sweet lady kisses.”

Santana rolled her eyes, "It wasn't a date, we just spent time getting to know each other again, and that’s all." She didn’t want to talk about kissing Quinn not yet anyways.

Mike smirked, "Getting to know each other again, is that what we're calling it now?" He joked.

Santana glared at him before punching him in the arm, "Cut it out, boy Chang. It was all in good fun no more no less."

It was funny how the three of them could get along so well, considering that Santana and Brittany had had a not so secret relationship and Brittany was dating Mike now. Their English teacher, Mrs. Hillman, entered the classroom as the bell rung to start today's lesson. Santana and Brittany started passing notes as soon as the teacher spoke.

 _Where did you go to dinner?_ The note had read.

Santana pulled out her pen to reply. “ _We went to Chili's, but not before we were cornered by Rachel before we left the fair.”_

She handed the note back to Brittany, who immediately replied, “ _What did Rachel do?”_

Mrs. Hillman chose that time to look up and she glared at the two girls, "This is a place of learning and not one of passing notes. Pay attention, especially you, Miss. Pierce." She turned back to the chalkboard.

Santana rolled her eyes and ignored the teacher. "I'll tell you after class." She whispered into the other girl’s ear.

After what seemed like ages, the bell rang, signaling the end of class. Both girls packed up their books and walked out of their class. Mike followed behind them he wanted to know what happened last night between Quinn and Santana.

"So what did Rachel do last night?" Brittany asked, wasting no time to get the latest scoop.

Santana scoffed, "The hobbit insinuated that Quinn and I were on a date. That was pretty much it. We left and had dinner.”

Brittany frowned, “Why did she think it was a date? You and I went out all the time but it wasn’t a date.”

Santana shrugged, “I don’t know. I guess people have a different idea of what a date is. I will tell you this though we kissed again. And this time there was no games involved.”

Brittany's eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning, "You kissed Quinn? Did you see fireworks?" Brittany then turned to her boyfriend, “Did you hear that? Quinn and Santana kissed again.”

Mike laughed, “I knew it was going to happen again. It was only a matter of time.”

Santana gave them her best HBIC look before continuing, "More than that." Santana answered before the bell rang, "I'll talk to you guys later. Britt hurry up and get to class before you're late again."

Santana entered her history class and took a seat in her usual spot. History was one of her favorite classes. Only Brittany and Tina knew that she was a bit of a history nerd. Learning about the past fascinated Santana, but today she was having trouble concentrating on what Mr. Host was saying. Her mind was on a certain woman who was at her house at this very moment. She wondered what Quinn was doing and if she would be going to practice that day. Santana knew that she should pay attention to her teacher, but she already had an A in the class, so she could afford to not pay attention. The rest of the day flew by for Santana and before she knew it, it was time for Glee. She really didn't want to deal with Rachel or Finn today.

Santana entered the choir room and took her usual spot between Brittany and Tina. They were talking about what Santana was going to do for her birthday since it was coming up within a few days. Her birthday is a big deal you only turn eighteen once. The conversation stopped when Mr. Schue entered the room.

"Hi, everyone! As you know, we have Sectionals coming up next week and we have some fierce competition. This year, I want to try something a little different. We won't be doing a ballad as we normally do for our opening number; we're going to do a group song. That way, everyone will have a chance to shine. This week's assignment is to find a song that you think would fit us as a group." Mr. Schue addressed the class.

Rachel raised her hand, "Mr. Schue if I may, you can't change the way New Directions does things, when we start with a ballad it gets to the judges. I think that if Finn and I could find the perfect ballad for us to sing, we wouldn't have to focus on group numbers. I know we have talented people in here, but they would be better off performing backup for me and Finn. It's the perfect formula."

Mercedes spoke up, "I'm not about to stand in the background and sway while you and Finn sing. Let's keep in mind that you and Finn cost us Nationals last year with the two of you not being able to control that Twilight Saga you have going on. I am Beyonce, I ain't no Kelly Rowland and everyone else may be content with singing in the background, but I'm not."

Mr. Schue finally decides to step in, "That is why I chose to highlight everyone in a group number. This way, no one has to stand in the background. Come on, guys, we're a team and if we want to make it to Nationals this year, we need to start acting like one, "When he wasn't met with any more objections he continued, "Now each and every one of you will have to choose a song and perform it on Wednesday, no excuses." He concluded as the students began to talk amongst themselves.

Tina decided to ask Santana about last night, "So what happened last night? You and Quinn kinda disappeared when you got off the Ferris wheel, Isa was upset because she didn't get a chance to say bye to you."

Santana smiled, "I'm sorry, Tina, I'll make it up to baby girl soon. Quinn and I left to get something to eat." She mentioned casually.

Brittany smiled, "They totally got their sweet lady kisses on last night." She said knowingly.

“Brittany!” Santana chastised the girl next to her she didn’t want everyone to know that she and Quinn kissed again.

Tina laughed, "There is nothing wrong with it Santana we all know that you still have it bad for Quinn.  That much was obvious before you even kissed her Friday night. Just be careful, I don't want to see you get hurt." She ended on a serious note. The last thing she wanted was a repeat of angry Santana, which was scary.

Rachel couldn't help but smirk when she heard the trio talking about Quinn. She had an idea of what Santana was feeling for the older woman, even if she had tried to deny it. The bell rung and everyone filed out of the choir room. Santana was the only one to stay behind. Rachel grasped this opportunity to start talking to her.

"Hey, Santana." Rachel greeted her.

Santana looked up, "What do you want, Rachel?” She was clearly annoyed by the other girl.

Rachel ignored her and sat in the empty chair beside her, "I think Quinn would be really good for you; you should really give her a chance and tell her how you feel. You hide behind this false bravado, like you don't care that she's here, but I noticed a change in you a good change. I know things are going to be different once she leaves again, but we graduate in a few months. You can come to New York with Kurt, Finn and I. They have good schools there and you'll be closer to Quinn. Besides she is the only one who can tame the wild Santana Lopez.”

Santana just looked at her, “She already knows how I feel so there is no need for us to relive that again. Why do you care anyways? It’s not your life it’s mine and what goes on between Quinn and I is no concern you. So keep your nose out of it Berry.

Rachel didn’t back down, “I am looking out for you Santana. We may not be close friends but I’ve known you since we were eight years old. I saw how Quinn leaving and not coming back affected you. I don’t want you to go back to that place again.”

Santana didn’t say another word; she gathered her books and walked out of the classroom leaving Rachel behind. She had no idea that the people around her knew how she felt about Quinn, she thought she was playing it close to the chest.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Quinn stood outside of McKinley High, feeling like she was back in high school. She was here to see Santana and the Cheerios practice. Quinn walked around the building towards the football field where she could see the cheerleaders practicing. She made her way over to the bleachers and smiled when she spotted Santana. Sue Sylvester still looked the same, but less intimidating. It seemed so long ago since she was out there on that field herself, practicing until late at night, trying to whip her fellow Cheerios into shape. She also remembered Santana being out there, warming up and practicing with them. Now Santana was leading the squad and she looked good doing it.

"You think this is hard, try getting your wisdom teeth pulled without anesthesia! That's hard!" Sue's shrilly voice rang over the bullhorn.

Quinn did not miss  _that_. She watched as the cheerleaders get out of formation and repeat the routine. Santana looked in her direction and waved. Quinn returned the gesture. Santana then turned around and addressed her team. Sue saw this and made her way over to the woman sitting on the bleachers.

"Well, well, if it isn't my long lost Cheerio. Feeling nostalgic?" Sue asked the woman in front of her.

Quinn looked up, "No, I just wanted to see if the team was any good and see Santana at work as a co-captain." She smiled turning her attention to the field. She watched as Santana and Brittany taught the team a new dance routine.

"I knew she had what it took to be a Cheerio, she led the team to Nationals her freshman and sophomore year. She reminds me a lot of you, although she doesn't have your bone structure. What brings you back to Lima?" Sue asked her favorite Cheerio.

Quinn stopped staring and looked at Sue,"Santana learned from the best. I came back to visit my mom, I haven't been back since I left for college." She answered.

Sue smirked, "You were one of the handful of Cheerios to make it out of this town and make something of herself. If Santana keeps it up, she'll be another one to do so. She has the balls to take this world by storm. Don’t tell her I told you that, I don’t want her to slack off. It was good seeing you again Q." Sue walked off, leaving Quinn alone.

Quinn went back to watching the team practice their routines and a couple of their cheers. She remembered her days on the squad, doing the same thing that Santana was doing now. Quinn patted herself on the back for teaching Santana so well at such a young age.

_~Flashback~_

_Quinn is getting ready for practice when she gets a phone call from Santana's parents to watch her for a few more hours while they work late. It isn't a regular occurrence, but it happens from time to time. Quinn doesn't mind, though, she loves spending time with the little girl and she did promise Santana that she could come to practice with her. Santana's sitting at Quinn's desk, working on her homework._

" _Hey, munchkin. Do you want to go to practice with me today?"_

_Santana puts her pencil down and turns in her chair, "Really? You want me to go to practice with you?" She can barely contain her excitement._

_Quinn smiles. "Yep, your mommy and daddy are working late tonight, so I'm keeping my promise to take you to practice. What d'you say?"_

_Santana jumps up, "I say_ okay _! I'm going to practice, I'm going to practice, I'm going to practice!"_

_A little while later, Quinn walks out to the football field with Santana at her side. She feels all the looks on her. It's the first time a kid has ever been brought to practice. Sue notices Santana immediately and approaches Quinn._

" _What is that?" She points to Santana, "Doing here?" Sue asks._

_Santana speaks up, "I'm not a that, I'm a girl and my name is Santana." She says defiantly._

_This makes Sue smirk a little before she turns to look at Quinn._

" _I'm sorry, coach, but I'm watching her while her parents are working. I couldn't leave her alone." Quinn explains._

" _It's alright, Q, I know what it's like to watch a fragile person. Just don't let her get in the way." Sue walks off._

_Quinn walks Santana over to a chair behind the table, "You sit here and stay out of trouble."_

_Santana smiles, "I'm not trouble." She pulls out her coloring book and crayons._

_Quinn puts her team through their warm-ups, but she sees Santana out the corner of her eye trying to do the exercises as well. Whatever she has them do she sees Santana copy. Quinn's proud. She knows there and then that Santana has exactly what it takes._

_~End of Flashback~_

Quinn was brought out of her thoughts when she heard the shrill sound of a whistle. She knew that practice was officially over and she watched as Santana and Brittany walked together, their pinkies linked together. They were whispering and laughing with each other, which didn't sit too well with Quinn. She knew that nothing was going on between the two of them, but she still couldn't help the jealousy she felt. Brittany was always going to be a part of Santana's life and she had to get used to it.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Santana and Brittany made their way over to where Quinn was standing. Santana was happy that Quinn had decided to come to practice. She'd tried not to get her hopes up earlier in the day, just in case she didn't show up, but right now she was on cloud nine.

"Hey, Quinn." Santana greeted her, “I can’t believe you came.”

Quinn smiled at her affectionately, “I finished sooner than I thought, so I decided to come out and see how the squad looks.” She turned to Brittany, "You're a fantastic dancer, if only we had someone like you when I was captain." She told the taller girl.

Brittany smiled, "Thanks, I've been dancing since I was little, it's my talent. Anyway, I gotta go meet Mike, we're going to Breadstix. Bye." Brittany walked off leaving Santana and Quinn alone.

"Bye, Britt." Santana called after the girls retreating figure.

"You really looked good out there, I taught you well." Quinn smiled.

Santana beamed, "You were a pretty good teacher. How could I not pick up a thing or two? Coming to practice with you really paid off.”

Quinn grabbed Santana's bag, "Come on, let's get you home. What do you want for dinner tonight?"

"You cook for me all the time, Quinn. I appreciate it, but I was thinking that maybe I could cook for you instead." Santana suggested.

Quinn looked thoughtful, "I don't know, you might try to poison me." She joked, "But seriously, though, I would love for you to cook for me. Your mom said you've become quite the chef."

Santana looked down, trying to hide the blush that had crept its way to her cheeks. She'd learned how to cook by watching and helping her mom, dad and abuelita in the kitchen. They always said that if she wanted to be in the kitchen, she'd have to help them. So she ended up helping and became an excellent cook because of it.

"Yeah, I do a little something here and there. So, what do you want for dinner?" She asked casually.

Quinn put her finger to her chin, “I want spaghetti with meatballs, a salad and garlic bread.”

Santana looked at her, "Are you serious?" That was a very simple meal she thought Quinn was going to ask for something exquisite.

 "As a heart attack, you have some making up to do, girlie." She leaned in, kissing her lips lightly.

Santana bit her lip, smiling, "Okay, let's get home so I can feed you, woman."

Quinn and Santana walked off the field and towards the parking lot where their cars were parked. They exchanged another small kiss and got into their respective cars and pulled out of the parking lot. Both of them excited for dinner tonight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	22. Santana Cooks For Quinn

Santana didn't know what was happening between her and Quinn, it's like they went from zero to sixty in the time span of only a few days. All the hatred and hurt that she had felt for Quinn were now pretty much non-existent, replaced with all these feelings that she can’t put into words or even express. Her feelings run a lot deeper than anything she'd ever felt for Brittany and it scares her. Santana wants to run and hide but she knows she can’t because she will end up losing Quinn in the process and that is something she did not want. She pulled her car into the driveway and got out, she wondered where Quinn was, but didn’t have to wonder anymore because she pulled in right behind her. Santana made her way over to Quinn’s car.

"I forgot how slow you drive." Santana teased Quinn as she got out of the car.

Quinn laughed, "I'm sorry but most of us don't drive like we belong in NASCAR, miss I-don't-follow- the-rules." She closed the door and locked the car.

Santana rolled her eyes, "Oh, please, I haven't had any accidents or speeding tickets. I am the perfect driver.”

They made their way into the house. Santana dropped her Cheerios bag near the door, reminding herself to take it to the laundry room later. She took her shoes off and put them by the door and hung her car keys on the hook. Quinn followed in Santana’s footsteps and did the same, for some reason coming home with Santana felt so right.

Santana started up the stairs, "I'm going to go change and then I can get started on dinner."

Quinn smiled, "Okay, I'm going to run home quickly to see my mom and then I'll be back. Don't burn the house down."

Santana turned around, "I know my way around the kitchen and don’t be late."

Quinn kicked herself mentally for checking out the girl as she was walking up the stairs. She couldn't help but send a prayer of thanks to the pervs that invented those skirts. After Santana disappeared upstairs, she made her way across the street to her house. It felt a little weird being there after being at the Lopez house for a few days, but she knew that she needed to see her mom.

Quinn made the journey across the street, "Mom, I'm home." She called out into the house.

"I'm in the kitchen, Quinn." Her mom replied.

Quinn made her way to the kitchen and saw her mom standing near the counter looking through the mail. She missed her mom while she was away even though she loved being with Santana, she missed the number one lady in her life.

"How was your trip?" Quinn asked, taking a seat.

"It was good; I think I knocked them dead. Maribel would be proud, we have a new client." Judy answered, looking up from her mail.

"That's great, mom, I'm so proud of you. You dazzled them with the Fabray charm." Quinn replied.

Judy looked at her daughter, "You know it. How's Santana? Has she warmed up to you at all?" It took a lot of will power not to call Quinn to see if she was still alive.

Quinn grinned like a Cheshire cat, "Things between us are going great. Being with her this weekend was just what we needed. It gave us time to talk and get comfortable around each other again." She didn’t mention the kisses that they shared.

"I'm glad that things between you and Santana are going so smooth. Just remember that she's still a very fragile girl, dear. Don't get her hopes up and then squash them like you did when you left and lost contact with her." Her mom told her.

She tried not to let out a sigh of frustration, "I am never going to live that down, am I?" Quinn frowned, "I made one huge mistake and everyone holds it over my head."

Judy smiled at her daughter sympathetically, "Let's just hope you learned from that lesson. Santana was really hurt, and if I remember correctly she had this massive crush on you. It was just the cutest thing ever, but it made your leaving and then getting out of touch that much worse for her.

Quinn looked at in amazement. How did her mother know about Santana's crush and she hadn't? That went to show how oblivious she'd been to Santana's feelings when she was younger. She realized that it was true that people are blind to what's right in front of their nose.

"So I've been told, I guess I wasn't paying very much attention to the signs. Anyway, I have to head back over now. Santana's cooking for me tonight." She told her mother.

Judy smiled, "She's an excellent cook, and you’ll love her food. She's quite talented; she'll leave you wanting more." Santana had cooked for her plenty of times; she had to admit she was spoiled.

Quinn couldn’t wait to see how good of a cook Santana really was, especially if her mom is practically drooling. Santana’s food wasn't the only thing that Quinn would want more of. She pushed that thought away, Santana was still underage but she was only human.

"Now you really have me wanting to tastes Santana’s food.” She told her mom.

Her mother touched her hand, "Well, you shouldn't be jealous anymore because you are having it tonight. What is she making for you?"

“She’s fixing spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread, and a salad. I wanted her to keep it simple.” She answered her mom. “Want to come over and have some?” She asked the last thing Quinn wanted was for her mom to feel left out.

Judy pursed her lips, "Sounds like you're going to be in for a real treat. I'm going out for dinner tonight with Angela, but make sure you save me some."

Quinn smiled, "I will. Have fun with Angela! Tomorrow night, it's going to be just me and you, so don't make any plans." She kissed her mom on the cheek. "Now I have to head back over to make sure that Santana isn't getting into any trouble."

"Alright sweetheart, have fun. I'll see you tomorrow." Judy called after her daughter as she left the house.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Quinn was kind of curious about what she would see when she entered the house. Her mom said that Santana was a good cook, so that meant that she also knew her way around the kitchen. Quinn walked into the house and went straight to the kitchen. She was met by a sight that seemed to belong in a cooking magazine rather than real life. Santana had a salad in a huge bowl, a bowl filled with garlic bread and another bowl with spaghetti and meatballs. Santana really went all out for dinner, she wondered if she made anything for dessert.

"Looks great." Quinn said when she finally found her voice.

Santana turned around and gave her a smile, "Thanks. I'm pretty sure it'll taste good as well. Come sit down so you can eat." She gestured to the kitchen island.

Santana brought the food to the island, setting it down in the middle while Quinn took her seat. She sat down across from Quinn as they served themselves. Taking her first bite, Quinn couldn't believe how delicious the spaghetti was. She felt like she'd died and gone to heaven. Her mom was right Santana is an awesome cook.

"Well, what do you think?" Santana asked as she watched Quinn take her first bite.

"This is amazing, Santana, your sauce is heavenly. You are a fabulous cook, I bow down to you." She mimed her bowing.

Santana beamed, "Thanks, it's a secret recipe that mom taught me." She started eating.

"I'll have to thank your mom next time I see her." Quinn winked.

They continued dinner as they told each other about their days. It felt like old times between them, but now they were older, of course. They cleaned up the kitchen together, putting away the dishes and then going to the family room to watch TV. Santana's head was resting on Quinn's lap and Quinn was playing with Santana's hair. It was a flash back to simpler times, before Quinn had left and started her life in New York. She really missed times like these.

Santana sighed in contentment, "That feels really good." She mumbled.

Quinn tried not to laugh, "You always loved it when I played with your hair."

"Brittany plays in my hair, but it's not the same as when you do it." Santana mentioned offhandedly.

She tried not to let the girls comment get to her,"You remember how it felt for me to play with your hair?" She asked.

Santana sat up and looked at Quinn, "I do, that's something that I'll never forget. It made me feel special, incredibly close to you."

Quinn returned Santana's gaze, "I never knew you felt that way."

Santana looked away, "I was younger then. You were older than me and to you I was the munchkin you babysat when my parents went out."

Quinn placed both her hands on Santana's face, "You were more than the munchkin that I babysat. You were and still are a very special part of me; I'm going to do whatever I can to prove that to you, Santana."

"I believe you." Santana replied. "My mom and dad are coming back tomorrow; you won't be here at night anymore." She said sadly.

Quinn kissed Santana's forehead, "We can still spend time with each other and do things together. Besides someone has a birthday coming up on Saturday, you think I'm going to let you down?"

Santana's eyes fluttered closed as the butterfly kiss sent chills down her spine. She could definitely get used to those, but she knew she would be without when Quinn eventually went back to New York. "No, but I expect something fabulous, I only turn eighteen once." She smirks, "Besides, you owe me for the birthdays you missed."

Quinn winked, "Don't worry; I'll give you something that you'll never forget."

Santana looked at Quinn intently, "Quinn? What does this mean?"

Quinn looked confused, "What does what mean Santana?" She was feeling a little concerned.

"This, and the moments that we've shared in the past few days?" Santana replied timidly, she had never really shown this level of vulnerability with anyone but Brittany.

Quinn wasn’t expecting this conversation to happen right now, "I don't know, Santana." She saw Santana's face fall, so she decided to continue, "This is very new to me and I'm sure you feel the same way. We have to see where this goes and how this story unfolds; there is no need to rush. Right now, you're still young and you are still navigating your feelings. I love having these moments with you they are the best I have ever had. We’ll just take it slow and see how it goes.”

Santana's heart was beating wildly within her chest. Could it be that Quinn feels the same way she did? This was her wildest dream coming true; she'd thought about this moment over and over again, imagining it in her head, replaying different scenarios. If this was a dream, Santana didn't want to wake up from it. But she knew that this was reality.

That answer still wasn’t enough she needed to know more, “But even when I am eighteen, you'll be back in New York."

Quinn already knew the answer to that question, "You'll come to New York and you can go to college there. You've mentioned twice already that you want to go there and I think you would love it. You'll be able to spread your wings and explore things that you couldn't possibly explore here. But we'll cross that bridge when we get there."

Santana lay her head back on Quinn's lap, content in her answer. She knew that it was risky considering her age. She was wondered how her parents would react if and when they found out. At this moment, she didn't care because she had Quinn and Quinn always made things better.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	23. Santana Turns 18

Saturday had come a lot quicker than Santana had expected, it was finally her birthday and she was officially legal. Santana woke up to the smell of breakfast. She knew that her mother had probably fixed her traditional birthday breakfast: French toast, eggs, bacon, strawberry pancakes, fresh fruit and orange juice. To her mother the birthday breakfast was kind of a big deal. Santana got out of bed and made her way to the bathroom for her morning routine, then downstairs. She went to the kitchen, which was covered in balloons, streamers and a birthday banner. The food was laid out on the table and her usual chair had a bouquet of balloons tied to it. Her parents always went all out for her but she was more worried about what Quinn had planned for her.

"Happy birthday mija!" Her parents gathered her into a huge hug.

Santana smiled, "Thanks mami and papi." She gave them both a kiss on their cheek, "You really shouldn't have gone to all this trouble." She told them as she sat down at the table, followed by her parents.

"Nonsense, it's your birthday, you only turn eighteen once. We want to make it special for you because you're our baby girl." Xavier told her.

"We love you, Santana, and next year you won't be there to do this anymore, so let us spoil you on your special day." Maribel smiled at her daughter. “It seems like only yesterday we brought you home from the hospital and now you are a young woman.”

Santana tried not to cry, "I may be eighteen and grown up, but I will never stop being your baby. Can we eat? I’m starving."

Santana let out a moan of satisfaction because the food was so good; her mom was hands down the best cook ever. This was one thing that she was going to miss in New York. That didn't mean that she wouldn't be coming back home whenever she got the chance.

"So what are you and Quinn doing today?" Xavier asked his daughter.

Santana shrugged, "I don't know, she won't tell me. She keeps saying that it's a surprise, but whatever it is, I'm sure I'll love it." She continued eating.

Maribel looked at her daughter, "It's good that you and Quinn have grown close again. I was afraid you were going to push her away forever, the weekend must have been great then."

Santana took a sip of her orange juice, "We talked, she explained herself, apologized and we made up. She doesn't see me as a little kid anymore, that's for sure." She finished eating, not wanting to say anything else.

They continued breakfast and made small talk about their plans for dinner that night. Santana had told them that she really didn't want a party for her birthday. Little did she know her parents had a surprise up their sleeves. Breakfast was over and the table was cleared. Santana's parents came back to the table with a couple of gift bags and placed them in front of their daughter.

"Happy Birthday sweetheart! You have more coming later, but we wanted you to open these now." Maribel told her daughter.

Santana didn't have to be told twice; she opened up the first gift bag and pulled out a long velvet box with a pink bow on it. She looked at it and then looked back at her parents it was a tradition to give her a piece of jewelry to mark the big birthdays. With a little trepidation, she opened up the box to reveal a silver charm bracelet; she had never seen anything so exquisite.

Xavier spoke up, "The star is to guide your way home, the heart is for how much you're loved, the tiara is for you being our princess, the megaphone is for cheerleading, and the Puerto Rican flag is so you don't forget where you come from."

Santana tried not to cry, "It's so beautiful, thanks mami and papi." She got up and gave each of her parents a hug and kiss on the cheek, "I love it so very much."

"Go ahead and open the others, baby girl." Maribel insisted.

Santana sat back down and opened up the other bag, it was a lot bigger than the one her bracelet was in. She pulled out the tissue paper to reveal a brand new iPad mini, something she had wanted long before her birthday.

"Oh my God, an iPad 2 you remembered?" She squealed in delight, she had hinted at this for months.

Maribel laughed at her daughter, "You have been dropping anvils for the past couple of months, we couldn't help ourselves. Besides your iPhone, iTouch, and MacBook were probably lonely, so we got them a friend."

Xavier shook his head, “Who knew my daughter would become an Apple fan girl.”

Santana put her gift down on the table and got up, hugging her parents again, tighter this time. She couldn't ask for better parents than them. They may have been a little neglectful at times, but they were always there for her. She was going to miss them in New York.

"These are the best gifts ever! You are the greatest parents a girl could ask for." She told her parents honestly.

Xavier kissed his daughter's forehead, "You're the greatest daughter we could ever ask for."

Santana tried again not to cry, "I love you guys, very much." She looked at the clock on the wall and saw that is was ten. Quinn said she would be there at eleven. She had planned the entire day for her birthday.

Maribel looked at the clock as well, "Looks like you need to get ready, and Quinn will be here in an hour. We know you need longer than that." She teased.

Santana grabbed her gifts, "Very funny, mother, I don't take that long." She stuck her tongue out at her mom as she walked by.

Maribel smacked Santana lightly on the butt as she walked by, causing her to squeal. As soon as Santana made her way up the stairs, her parents began to talk.

"Does Quinn remember she is supposed to keep Santana out until six?" Xavier asked his wife.

"Yes, everything is going to be perfect. Santana doesn't suspect a thing and I'm sure Quinn will do more than enough to keep her busy." Maribel kissed her husband lightly on the lips, "We did a great job raising our little girl."

Xavier just nodded and hugged his wife, "We did honey, we really did."

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Santana put her gifts on her bed. She still couldn't believe that her parents had spent so much money on her. She really did feel like a princess, but she couldn't help but wonder if they'd have felt the same had they known that she's gay. She pushed that thought out of her head and went to her closet to choose an outfit for the day – preferably something that would blow Quinn's mind. Quinn had told her to dress casually and comfortably for what she had planned. She looked through her clothes until she came across a pair of black jeans and got them out. She moved to the other side to look through her shirts, until she came across a dark blue sweater which would keep her warm in the afternoon wind. Santana laid it out on the bed on top of her jeans she'd worry about her shoes later. She fluttered around her room, getting everything together before hitting the shower.

Quinn arrived at the Lopez house a little after eleven. She rang the doorbell and waited until someone answered the door. She was nervous and she didn't know why she had spent time with Santana before, after all. Because Santana was now eighteen and it was no longer illegal to date her, Quinn was more worried about what the girls parents would say, if and when they came out. The door opened and she was ushered in by Maribel.

"Good morning Quinn. Santana is still upstairs getting ready." Maribel hugged her second daughter.

Quinn returned the hug and gave Maribel a dazzling smile, "Hi mama number two. Santana is never on time.” She joked.

Maribel invited her into the kitchen, "I swear that girl would probably be late for her own funeral."

Quinn laughed, "Santana would say: 'It takes time to look this good'. Or ‘I have to look good, don’t I?’”

They shared a laugh because that is how Santana usually is. Maribel found it funny that Quinn could imitate her daughter so well. Xavier entered the kitchen from the basement when he heard Quinn and his wife talking.

"Hey, Quinn." He walked over and gave her a hug.

Quinn smiled and returned the hug, "Hi dad."

They had always told Quinn to stop calling them Mr. and Mrs. Lopez or Dr. Lopez. She was a part of their family and they considered her their second daughter. It took her some time to get back to calling them mom and dad. Although Quinn had a father, he wasn't around much and Xavier became a surrogate. She was very grateful for that. She wondered if they would still consider her a daughter if they found out that she was attracted to their daughter.

"We missed having you over for the past few days. We didn’t scare you off by being home did we?" He asked.

Quinn shook her head, “No, I kind of figured that the three of you needed some time alone. With everything that had happened plus it gave me time to visit with mom.” Completely true but it was also because of Santana.

Maribel offered a small smile, “Regardless you are always welcome here Quinn, you’re like a daughter to us and you and your mom are familia. Remember that.”

Xavier spoke up, “So where are you taking her today?” He was curious about Quinn “big plans”.

She looked thoughtful, "To Columbus, we're going to the Zoo and the Aquarium. She told me she's always wanted to go. There will be a couple of stops in between, though."

Maribel had a look of concern on her face, "You'll be home by six, right?" The last thing she wanted was Santana to be late for her party.

Quinn nodded, "Yes, I will have her here by six, no later than that. What time will everyone be arriving?"

"Between five and five-thirty, hopefully the people will start to arrive earlier than that. Santana's abuela and aunt will be coming by to help us decorate the basement and the house." Xavier said.

“I know she said she didn’t want to have a huge party, but you only turn eighteen once. She's going to love it." Maribel chimed in.

Santana chose that time to come bouncing in the kitchen, "She's going to love what?" She asked curious as to why everyone stopped talking when she came into the kitchen.

Quinn looked over at Santana and held each other’s gaze for a few minutes. This little exchange didn’t go unnoticed by the other adults in the room. They didn’t say anything but Maribel had her suspicions.

"Santana, when did you get down here?" Maribel asked. She knew Santana could be a little sneaky when she wanted to be.

Santana furrowed her eyebrows, "I just entered the kitchen when I heard ' _she will love it_ '. So what are you talking about?" She asked again.

Quinn decided to answer, "Where I'm taking you today, you will love it." She gave her a wink.

"On that note, why don't you two get going you don't want to waste any more time." Maribel said, practically ushering them out the kitchen.

Quinn chimed in, "You know what? You're right; we have a long day ahead of us, especially if we want to make it back in time for you to take Santana to dinner."

Santana grabbed a light jacket out of the downstairs closet and put her shoes on. She could feel everyone’s eyes on her. She felt a little weirded out by it all but she brushed it off. It was her birthday and she is fabulous.

"You two go and have a good time." Xavier opened the door and nearly pushed them out.

Santana looked at both of her parents, "Why are you quick to get rid of us?" This was unusual for them normally they take their time sending her out the door.

Xavier scrambled for a quick answer, “We just want you to get started on your day. Have fun and we love you." He closed the door behind the two girls standing on the porch.

"Okay that was a little weird, my parents are never that quick to get rid of me." Santana told Quinn as they made their way towards Quinn's car.

Quinn opened the door for Santana, "They just want you to get out and enjoy the day, you only turn eighteen once. They get you tonight, but right now you’re mine.” She leaned in and gave Santana a quick kiss on the lips.

Quinn closed Santana’s door and made her way over to her side of the car. She knew that she was risking it all by giving Santana a quick kiss but she couldn’t help herself. It’s been three days since she last kissed her. She got in the car and started it up looking both ways before she backed out of the driveway.

 “I missed you last night." Quinn told her as they were driving down the road. Santana had grabbed Quinn's free hand and taken it in hers. They intertwined their fingers as they exited the neighborhood. It was definitely going to be a good day.

Santana licked her lips, "I missed you too, my bed was lonely without you in it." Even though they only shared a bed for a couple of nights she had gotten used to Quinn being there.

"What did mom and dad get you for your birthday?" She asked making small talk.

Santana turned her head to look at Quinn, "A charm bracelet and an iPad mini. I have been hinting about that for months."

Quinn just smiled she already knew what Santana's parents got her and had she actually gone with them to pick out the bracelet and the charms. She had gotten a charm for the bracelet separately; she wanted it to be a separate gift. Quinn decided to give it to her at a later time, when she gave her everything else. The first step was the Lima mall, one of the many stops that Quinn had planned.

Santana looked confused, "Why are we at the mall?" This is not what she had in mind at all.

"It's a surprise, let's just enjoy it." Quinn told her.

They entered the mall and Quinn led their way to the first destination: Build-A-Bear. Santana had mentioned a couple of times that no one had ever made her one, so Quinn brought her here to present Santana with the one that she made.

"Build-A-Bear? Come on, Quinn, I'm not six anymore." Santana rolled her eyes. This is something she really didn’t expect for her birthday, especially from Quinn.

Quinn just chuckled and brought her into the store where they were met with a greeter. She smiled and led them over to a secluded area of the store. "Have a seat." The greeter motioned toward the table.

Quinn and Santana sat down at the table, which was covered in a pink table cloth with white and blue hearts. Santana looked around in confusion. They were alone in the store, which was a little weird considering it was a Saturday. The greeter came out with a box that was wrapped in birthday wrapping paper with a silver and blue ribbon.

"Happy birthday, Santana!" The greeter presented the box to Santana and left them alone.

"What exactly is this?" She asked. Quinn really couldn’t be this serious about this whole thing.

Quinn smirked, "Just open it already."

Santana didn't have to be told twice, she ripped off the wrapping paper and the ribbon to reveal the signature Build-A-Bear box. She opened it up and took out a stuffed dog holding a small box. He was tan and brown. The dog wore a red and white shirt with a birthday cake on it. He held a cupcake and a birthday card in one hand and a birthday present with a box inside on the other. Santana looked over at Quinn with a smile. Quinn remembered her saying she wish someone would make her a Build-A-Bear.

"Y-you made me a dog? No one has ever done this for me." She was clearly emotional but trying her hardest not to let it show.

"I wanted to be the first. We came here once when you were younger and you made a Tinkerbell bear for Mercedes birthday and you pouted because you wanted someone to make one for you.” She smiled at the memory, “On top of that, Sir Snow Paw is a little lonely and he needs some company. So I made him just for you. There's more, open the box."

Santana looked at the little box he was holding, it was small, only big enough to hold a ring. She took it out of the bear's hand and opened it. Inside was a charm with the initials Q&S with a diamond heart in the middle. "Oh my God! Quinn, this is absolutely beautiful, this is perfect for the charm bracelet my parents got me."

Quinn smiled, "This charm represents you and me, without you there is no me. It was you who made me who I am today. I wouldn't have ever known that being a child psychologist would be my calling, you being in my life made me realize that. And when I go back to New York, you'll have something to remind you of me and of us until you get there. I love you, Santana, more than anything in this world."

Santana tried to hold back the tears, but was unsuccessful. They spilled freely down her cheeks. To hear Quinn say that to her was like the icing on the cake; to know that Quinn felt that way about her. She was relieved to know that everything was going to be alright."I love you too, Quinn. I loved you since I was a little girl." She reached for Quinn's hand and gave it a squeeze.

Quinn leaned over the table and wiped Santana's tears away, she didn't know if they were tears of joy or of sadness. She wanted to convey to Santana how she felt about her, to relieve any fear and doubt the girl might still have. Quinn met Santana across the table and kissed her, which Santana eagerly returned. It had been far too long since they kissed like this. They broke apart when they heard someone clearing their throat. They both looked up and were met with the eleven familiar faces of the Glee club members.

Santana tried to look annoyed, "You do know you're intruding on a private moment." She told them.

Rachel spoke up, "We know Santana, but we are here per Quinn's request. Today is your birthday and she wanted to do something extra special for you, so she asked us to help her today. You only turn eighteen once and this is an important milestone."

Santana looked over at Quinn and smiled before looking back to back to her friends. This couldn’t get any cheesier but she had to admit though that she loved every second of it because it came from Quinn.

Kurt cleared his throat, "We want you to know that we love you and we're glad that you are a part of our merry band of misfits." He continued, "You've defended us in your own way and we know that you like us in your own way. Some more than others, of course." He added at the end.

"Some of us grew up with you and some of us met you at later times, but you still made an impression on us. You're not the bitch that everyone thinks you are." Mercedes told her childhood friend.

Brittany was next to speak, "You've sung with us and for us, now it's our turn to sing a song for you." Brittany added, "We love you Santana and so does Quinn."

Tina was the last one to go, "This is to you from Quinn and the rest of us Gleeks."

They started out with the _Just The Way You Are/Just A Dream_ mash up from _Pitch Perfect_. Which segued into _Kiss The Girl_ from Santana’s favorite movie _The Little Mermaid_. They finished up the set with _“That’s How You Know”_ from the movie _Enchanted._ The Build-A-Bear workers came out and presented Santana with a birthday cake and everyone sung _Happy Birthday_ to her. They didn’t care that they had an audience watching outside.

Santana tried to find the words, "I can't believe you went through all this trouble." She was moved to tears.

Quinn smiled, "You're totally worth it. Now blow out your candles they are melting all over the cake."

Santana blew out her candles and stood up and was engulfed in a big group hug from her friends and her team mates – her little family. It was like having eleven siblings, even though that would be a tad bit incestuous since they all pretty much dated each other at one time or another. They broke the hug, figuring that Santana would probably need to breathe.

Santana finally spoke, "Wow, what a way to start the day." She was still clearly touched.

"Who knew that we could bring the badass Santana Lopez from Lima Heights Adjacent to tears?" Mike joked.

She rolled her eyes, "I am still a badass, don't tell anyone else or I will ends you all. Anyone for cake?"

Everyone just rolled their eyes at her. They know she was a bitch, but a bitch with a heart. Luckily, she didn't turn her bitchiness to them anymore. To them Quinn Fabray is a miracle worker.

"Sorry we can’t stay, we've gotta go. We'll see you later guys!" Puck said. They all said their goodbyes and filed out of the store, leaving Quinn and Santana alone.

"So, what do you think? Good birthday so far?" Quinn asked the young woman in front of her.

Santana smiled, "I think it's a little cheesy, but I like it. Thank you, it means a lot to me."

Quinn smirked, "This is just the beginning, babe, I have a lot more in store for you. I have several birthdays to make up for."

Santana put her bear back in the box and the greeter put her cake in a box as well. Quinn thanked them and Santana did as well, giving the greeter a one of a kind Santana Lopez smile. They walked out of the mall holding hands and went back to Quinn's car.

"You really didn't have to go through all this trouble Quinn."

"Trust me, I want to, and not because I'm trying to suck up to you. It's your eighteenth birthday, you're finally an adult. Just enjoy being spoiled by me, you totally deserve it." She kissed her cheek. "Let's get out of here, we have more to explore."

Quinn pulled out of the parking lot and they began their journey. They talked about mundane things and sang. Santana was really enjoying herself. This had to be one of the best birthdays she'd ever had. She had always had this dream that Quinn would come back from New York and spend her birthday with her, but now that dream had finally come true.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	24. Santana's Birthday Party

Quinn couldn't believe how well the day was starting out, she was scared that Santana wouldn't like what she had planned or think it was childish. The way the girl was acting was enough to let her know that she did enjoy every moment of it. Quinn wanted this birthday to be special for Santana. She felt guilty about missing out on all of Santana's other major birthdays. Hopefully, Santana would now finally learn to forgive her.

"So where are we going? We just left Lima." Santana asked, looking out the window.

Quinn laughed, Santana always had questions, "If you must know Miss. Lopez, I am taking you to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, but that is all you're getting out of me."

Santana smiled, "I've only been there once and that was in fifth grade, when school organized a field trip."

The rest of the drive to Columbus didn't take very long. Before they both knew it, they were pulling into the parking lot of the complex. It was just as beautiful as Santana remembered, but there were a lot of additions she hadn't seen before. Quinn and Santana exited the car and held hands as they made their way towards the entrance. Quinn paid for both of their admissions and as soon as they entered, they met with their tour guide.

"Welcome to The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, I am your tour guide, Julian," He looked over at Santana, "You must be the birthday girl, a very happy birthday to you."

Santana smiled, "Thank you," She looked at Quinn, "What's this? Normally, they don't do tours unless its a field trip, if I recall correctly."

Quinn smiled, "You're getting the private backstage tour."

Julian chimed in, "You get a backstage pass to everything; how we feed the animals and the everyday workings of the zoo and aquarium. Then at the end of the tour, you can actually touch some of the animals."

Santana couldn’t believe it, "Seriously?!"

Quinn nodded, "Seriously. It’s your birthday and I told you it was going to be special.”

Julian led them from the entrance into the aquarium building, Quinn and Santana following right behind him, still holding hands. Julian explained how they kept the aquarium up and running and how they fed the many different animals. Along the way, they saw jellyfish, beluga whales, sharks and almost every other aquatic animal. Santana was simply in awe. She had loved marine animals ever since she had Goldie, her beloved goldfish. Quinn watched the birthday girl taking in everything around them. Quinn knew she had chosen well. Santana kept asking questions about the different animals and how they cleaned out the areas where the animals lived. Quinn remembered how inquisitive Santana was; she was quick to ask questions and quick to figure things out.

"This is the coolest gift ever. Thanks, Quinn." Santana finally spoke as they made their way out of the staging area of the aquarium.

Quinn smiled, "Only the best for my favorite girl."

Santana smiled and kissed Quinn on the cheek, this was turning out to be a great afternoon. Quinn taking the time out to plan all this for her was the best thing ever. This would definitely turn out to be a birthday to remember. They finished the tour of the aquarium and were led over to the area where the Zoo was. They made a pit stop at the butterfly conservatory. Santana looked at Quinn quizzically.

"Why are we stopping here?" She asked.

Quinn smiled, "Well, a little birdie told me you liked butterflies, so I thought we would take a look."

Quinn led them to the entrance and Santana gasped in amazement. There was a countless amount of different types of flowers and butterflies. She recognized some of them, but not all of them – not by far. This was the closest she had ever been to butterflies. Quinn stopped, causing Santana to bump into her. She followed Quinn's line of sight. Set in the middle of a very green area inside the conservatory sat a blanket with a picnic basket and two wine glasses.

For the second time Santana was speechless she didn’t know what to say. Quinn wasn’t kidding when she said that she was going to make her birthday one that she would never forget.

She cleared her throat, "I thought we should have lunch before we continue, don't you think?"

Santana smiled, "I like the way you think – I'm hungry." She was happy and hungry.

Quinn led Santana over to the blanket where she motioned for her to sit down, before sitting down herself on the other side of the blanket. She opened up the basket and pulled out two carry-out containers and a basket of bread sticks, which she knew were Santana's favorite.

"You went to Breadstix! I love their bread sticks! Did you know they're forbidden to stop bringing me bread sticks?" She told the woman in front of her.

Quinn smiled, "I know how much you love your Breadstix, and I'm sure Sue won't mind if you indulge for your birthday."

"I won't tell if you won't." Santana plucked the doughy goodness from the basket.

Quinn watched as the birthday girl enjoyed her bread while she fixed their plates. It gave her great pleasure to see Santana enjoying herself. She had this whole thing planned out, with the help of their parents of course. She just wanted it to be perfect and a birthday that Santana would remember. They began eating and making small talk in between their lunch. Quinn poured them each a glass of sparkling grape cider, since she was driving and Santana couldn't legally drink.

"I'm really enjoying myself today Quinn, it's very low key, I like it." Santana complimented Quinn.

"I remember you told me a couple of days ago that you wanted something simple and different, so here it is." Quinn gestured to the area they were in.

Santana watched Quinn as she took a beautifully wrapped box with a silver and pink bow on top from the box. Quinn handed it to her. "Here's another gift, from me to you. I really hope you like it."

Santana took the box and opened it. Inside was a beautiful handcrafted book with a picture of the two of them when Santana was six. She looked back at Quinn and then down at the book. With a little hesitation, she opened it, not knowing what to expect. The pages were filled with pictures of the two of them together taken at different times. Some were posed, others were candid shots. Santana flipped through the pages, until she reached the part of the book that was just Quinn. Pictures of her in different places in New York that she'd visited.

Quinn pointed at the book, "I took these pictures because they are places that I love in New York. Places that always reminded me of you, and how much you would love seeing them. I thought about you a lot and I wanted you to know that." Quinn explained, "There's more."

Santana continued flipping through the pages and saw pictures of her from her various performances throughout her childhood and from school. She flipped a few more pages and came across pictures from the present, pictures of them together and pictures of them separately. The picture that caught her attention was the one of her and Quinn and her cuddled together on the couch, she had her head on Quinn's shoulder and Quinn had her head resting on the top of Santana's head, her fingers tangled in her hair.

"Who took this picture?" Santana asked.

Quinn smiled at her, "Your dad took it on Tuesday, after we had dinner."

Santana closed the book, no longer concerned about looking at the rest of the pictures. She scooted over to Quinn as close as she could, "I love it. Thank you, babe. It's the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me."

Quinn smirked, "I'm going to kiss you now." She leaned in and captured Santana's lips in a very sensual kiss.

Santana could have sworn she saw fireworks.

 XOXOXOXOXOXO

The rest of the afternoon went smoothly, which made Quinn very happy. She looked at her watch and noticed that it was almost four. They needed to get back to Lima. She thanked the tour guide and ushered her and Santana out of the park and to the car.

"What's the rush?" She asked, getting into the car.

"We have to meet your parents at the restaurant for dinner. Reservations are set for six-thirty and we can't be late." Quinn told her passenger, she really didn't want to lie to her, but she couldn't tell her what was really going on either.

The drive back to Lima didn't take as long as Quinn had thought it would. She pulled over at a gas station and took out her phone. She shot off a quick text to Maribel, letting her know that they were five minutes away from the neighborhood.

"Who are you texting?" Santana asked, she really hoped it wasn't that Melissa woman.

Quinn started to drive again, "Just letting your parents know that we'll be there in five minutes. Oh crap, I forgot, Santana can you reach in the glove compartment and pull out the blindfold."

Santana did what she was told, "What is this for?"

"I'm going to need you to put it on; your parent's don't want you to see just anything yet. Now stop asking questions and just put it on." She commanded.

Santana didn't have to be told twice, Quinn telling her what to do made her all tingly in her lady parts. She put the blindfold on. She didn’t want to upset Quinn at all.

"Can you see anything?" Quinn asked.

Santana shook her head, "No, it's completely dark. I really hope this isn't some kind of joke where I get punked."

"No, you're not getting punked; it's all part of the suspense." Quinn answered.

Quinn pulled the car in the driveway. She helped Santana get out of the car and led her up the steps onto the porch. She opened the door, brought her into the house and then went to stand behind her to take off the blindfold.

"Surprise! Happy birthday!" Everyone yelled to a very surprised Santana.

Santana looked at Quinn, "I thought you said we were going out for dinner."

Quinn smirked, "I lied. Happy birthday!" She gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

Santana was surrounded by her family, friends and of course the Glee club. Her mom ran to her and gave her a hug, ushering her further into the house. Her simple birthday turned into a birthday of epic proportions. This was the best day ever and having Quinn there to help her celebrate made it all the better.

"Let's get this party started." Xavier told everyone as he turned on the music.

The party was in full swing and Santana couldn't be any happier. She couldn't believe her parents hadn't listened to her about not having a party. She couldn't be mad at her parents – they always did the complete opposite of what she wanted. Santana was talking to her abuelita when she felt arms around her neck. She turned to look and saw Isabella.

"Hey, baby girl." She greeted the little girl.

Isabella smiled, "Happy birthday Tana!" The little girl kissed her cheek.

Santana smiled, "Aww, thank you, Isa." She motioned for the little girl to sit on her lap, "This is my abuelita." She pointed to the elder Lopez woman.

Isabella gave her a confused look, "What's an ab-abuelita?"

Alma smiled at the little girl, "Abuelita is how we say grandmother in Spanish. Santana has been calling me that since she was your age."

"That's because Tana is awesome." She kissed Santana on the cheek and hopped off her lap. "Come dance with me Tana."

Santana excused herself from talking with her grandmother and followed the precious little girl to the makeshift dance floor in the middle of the basement. They started dancing together, causing everyone in the room to stop and look at them. Quinn was watching by the stairs as the two girls danced around the floor. She couldn’t help but think about all the times she and Santana would dance and sing together on the nights she would babysit.

"They look so cute together don't they?" Rachel asked, coming to stand next to the woman.

Quinn smiled, "They do, Santana and I used to dance around like that when she was younger, it was her favorite thing to do."

Rachel smiled at Quinn's memory, "Does she know?"

Quinn looked at Rachel, "Does she know what?"

Rachel looked around to make sure no one was listening, "That you're in love with her. I mean really in love with her?”

“She knows that I love her a lot, but she doesn’t know that I am head over hills in love with her. Hell, I don’t even know if she is really in love with me.” Quinn replied. She didn't know why she was talking to a teenager about this.

Rachel smirked, "For someone who's supposed to have a deep insight into people, you really lack the skills to see what is right in front of you. Santana is in love with you and I'm sure she has been for a really long time." She walked off, leaving Quinn with her thoughts.

Santana spent the entire night dancing and talking to everyone, but she never really took her eyes off of Quinn. She watched as Quinn talked to some of her family members and a few people from the Glee club, mainly Kurt and Mercedes. What she really wanted to do was run away upstairs with Quinn and spend the rest of the night with her, but she knew that her parents wouldn't like that too much. Instead, she continued talking and dancing with other people and eating, just like everyone else.

The party was in full swing and to Quinn, it seemed like an eternity. It was good talking to Santana's friends and even some of her relatives, but she really wanted to talk to the birthday girl herself. She couldn't be selfish, though. She had pretty much had the girl to herself all day. That was enough for now. Quinn watched as Maribel brought down a cake in the shape of a trophy and placed it down on one of the few empty tables. Xavier brought down two candles in the shape of numbers, together forming the number eighteen.

"Alright, everyone, gather around. We have some younger party goers among us, so I think it's time for us to cut the cake. If my beautiful daughter would come up here please." Xavier announced to the room.

Santana walked up to where both her parents were standing and stood next to her cake. She watched as her mother lit the candles. Santana tried not to roll her eyes as everyone else started singing  _Happy Birthday_ to her, but on the inside, she was really enjoying it. Once the singing was done and the cake and ice cream were finished, it was time to open the presents. Natalia led her daughter to a chair in the middle of the floor and motioned for her to sit down. Santana did as she was told and slowly, she was engulfed with gifts. Quinn sat down on one of the couches next to Santana's abuelita. She really liked the older woman; she was so kind and caring and treated Quinn like she was part of the family. Quinn really hoped when all was said and done, she would still be considered family.

Santana opened up her gifts, some of them taking a lot longer than others. She received clothes from Kurt, Mercedes and Tina respectively. She received a bottle of  _Chanel_  from her aunt and uncle, gift certificates to  _Breadstix,_   _Bath and Body Works_ and  _Forever_  21 from Finn, Puck, and Artie. Rachel got her  _Rent_ ,  _West Side Story_  and  _Singing in the Rain_ Santana was just happy it wasn't anything with Barbara Streisand. Judy got her some jewelry and a couple of shirts. She opened up the final gifts from her abuelita and Isa. Her abuelita got her a leather jacket and a pair of boots and Isa gave her some lotion from  _Bath and Body Works._

"Tina helped me pick it out. Do you like it?" Isa asked.

Santana smiled, "I love it! Thank you, baby girl." She was met with and armful of child.

"I really should get going; mom and dad are going to freak out if I keep her out any later." Tina told her friend, pulling the little girl off of her.

Santana pulled her friend in a hug, "Thanks for coming; it means a lot to me. And thank you for coming as well, Isa. You be a good girl.”

Quinn watched the exchange; she really could not believe how great Santana was with little kids. She may have her moments but Santana is a real sweetheart in her book, she couldn’t believe that she almost missed out on this beautiful, young woman grow up. Quinn had to agree with Sue Santana is definitely going to take the world by storm.

"Thank you for helping with Santana today, you know, getting her out the house." Maribel mentioned walking towards Quinn.

Quinn smiled at the woman next to her, "It was my pleasure. You know that when it comes to her, I will do anything. She has me wrapped around her finger, but don't tell her I told you that."

Maribel sat down beside her, "Your secret is safe with me. You really love her don’t you?”

Quinn looked like a dear caught in headlights she was so busted, “I really do love her.  She has my heart.” She admitted trying to test the water a little bit.

Maribel gave her a knowing smile, “You are really good for her and I am glad that you came into her life. She’s blossomed a lot because of you. You've turned into a remarkable young woman Quinn. We are so very proud of you; you're like another daughter to us.  I know you will take very good care of her in New York next year. Promise me one thing though?”

Quinn looked at Maribel, “What’s that?” She asked cautiously.

“Don’t break her heart again. Santana loves you, she’s loved you since she was six years old, and you are her big love. I see the way she looks at you; she looks at you the way I look at Xavier. You look at her the same way…”Maribel trailed off.

Quinn was about to say something but Maribel cut her off, “I don’t understand the dynamics between the two of you. The two of you care deeply for each other, but keep in mind that she is still young give her time to spread her wings before it gets really serious between the two of you.”

“Wait…you know?” Quinn asked clearly taken aback especially at how calm Maribel was being with her.

Maribel laughed, “You two are about as subtle as a bull in a china shop. Xavier and I are still trying to come to terms with everything, but if you do decide to actively pursue her then we will not stand in your way.” She placed her hand on Quinn’s knee.

Quinn was amazed, “I don’t know what to say. I will try my hardest not to break her heart and I know she is still young. I’m not going to push her into something and I will make sure that she is sure of her feelings for me. So you’re really okay about all of this? Especially the part of Santana liking girls?” She didn’t want to press her luck but she was curious.

“Honey, I am her mother. I know all and I know that she and Brittany were more than just friends. They weren’t exactly discreet, but we are waiting for her to come to us. Xavier and I are headed upstairs, so keep an eye on these Rugrats for me." Maribel patted Quinn's knee and got up.

Quinn let out the breath she didn’t realize that she was holding. Santana’s mom was okay about her feelings for Santana. She was afraid that the woman was going to rip her a new one or read her the riot act. But Maribel was really cool and happy about it. She also took some of the things the older woman had said to her to heart too. Quinn watched as Santana approached her a smile on her face.

"Why aren't you out there getting your dance on with everyone? Abuelita even got out there and danced with Puck." Santana asked, sitting down next to Quinn.

Quinn laughed, "I'm not much of a dancer."

"You're probably a better dancer than Finn; he looks like he's having a seizure or something." They both shared a laugh at Finn's horrible dancing. "It's my birthday; you could at least dance with me." Santana smiled.

Quinn rolled her eyes, her resolve slowly disappearing. It was kind of scary how Santana could do that to her. It was as if Santana knew that that smile could get her anything which she probably did. Quinn decided not to fight it and got up, taking Santana's hand in hers and leading her to the dance floor. The song changed to a slower one and the two started dancing together, they didn’t care who was watching. It was Santana’s special day and she always gets what she wants.

"It's about time!" Puck called from the corner.

Santana shook her head, "Shut it, Puckerman, before I chop off Puckzilla and serve it to you with a salad."

Everyone laughed at Santana's comeback. The song ended and changed to a faster paced song, which everyone was extremely grateful for. The party started winding down and everyone headed home, with the exception of Kurt, Mercedes, and Rachel. They decided to stay behind and help with the cleanup, and more than likely find out what else Quinn had done for her birthday.

"So what happened after you left Build-A-Bear?" Mercedes asked, picking up the discarded cups.

"We went to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. I got the backstage tour, I got to touch the animals and feed a couple of them. Then we had a picnic in the butterfly conservatory. It was pretty cool." Santana said dreamily.

"That's so romantic," Kurt chimed in, "what gift did she get you?" He asked, it’s not every day that someone sweeps Santana off her feet.

Santana just shook her head, "If you gossip queens must know, she gave me a bear to complement Sir Snow Paw, a charm to go on my bracelet, and a scrapbook of us. She made it herself."

Rachel overheard all of this and decided to speak up, "You know Santana, when someone really loves you they go through so much trouble to show you that they do. Sometimes it's a lot better than having to say the words, take my love for Finn..." She was silenced by Santana's hand.

"If you are about to go into a story about your and Frankenstein's love for each other, save it. I like the way my food tasted going down but I don't want it to come back up." She told her with a little humor behind it.

They finished cleaning up. Everyone said their goodbyes and thank you's, finally leaving Quinn and Santana alone in the basement. Quinn sat down on one of the couches and patted the seat beside her.

"Did you enjoy your birthday?" Quinn asked, playing with Santana's hair.

"I loved it. Thank you for today, it was a lot better than I could ever have imagined." Santana said softly, laying her head on Quinn's shoulder.

Quinn kissed the top of her head, "I'm glad, I wanted today to be extra special for you. You're no longer a child, you're an adult now."

Santana looked up at her with a mischievous smirk, "So does that mean that we can have sex?"

"And our sweet lady kisses, but not while your parents are home. I don’t want them to come downstairs and seeing me locking lips with their only daughter."

"Spoil my fun." Santana pouted. She really wanted to kiss Quinn like crazy.

Quinn looked at her, "I want nothing more than to make love to you, but I want us to take our time, and develop into something more. Sex makes things complicated, you're still young and I want you to know if this," She pointed between the two of them, "Is something that you really want, without anything else influencing you."

Santana looked thoughtful for a moment. Deep inside, she knew that Quinn was the one that she wanted. She also knew that Quinn was making a lot of sense sex did complicate things. Her relationship with Brittany was proof of that.

"So, when can we have sex then? I have seven in a half months left at school, there is only so much kissing and caressing that can be done before we both get frustrated." She had to prove her point somehow.

"We'll just take it one day at a time, and when the time is right, we'll know." Quinn replied. She was amazed at how composed she was. Santana was on her mind all the time, but she knew that everything was still new and Santana needed to get the hell out of Lima before anything could really happen.

Santana stood up and held out her hand for Quinn, "It's late, why don't you stay over?" She suggested.

Quinn took Santana's hand and stood up, "What are you up to, Santana?"

"Nothing, it's late and I don't want you waking up mama Judy. Besides, I need you to protect me from the monsters under my bed and in my closet."

Quinn laughed as she was being led out of the basement by Santana. They turned out the lights along the way and made their way up to Santana's room. They were both exhausted. They undressed and climbed into bed, Quinn wrapping her arms around Santana protectively.

Santana let out a sigh of contentment. She'd spent a beautiful day with Quinn and then had the best time with her family and friends. Falling asleep in Quinn's arms was a perfect ending to a perfect day. This was definitely the best birthday  _ever_.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	25. Santana's National Graduation

Graduation was on the horizon for Santana and her friends. In less than a month Santana would be walking across the stage and accepting her diploma something that she was happy for. Things between Santana and Quinn are going great and true to her words, Quinn made her way back to Lima, for pretty much everything that involved Santana. Quinn had told Santana she would make up for missing important things and that she did. The New Directions were preparing for Nationals which is held in Chicago this year and instead of being locked in the room to figure out the set list, they were allowed to explore. Santana’s parents are in Chicago too along with Judy, to Santana’s displeasure; Quinn was unable to make it. Santana was disappointed, but she knew she would see her at her graduation.

Santana tried her hardest to hide her annoyance of people not getting their dance moves right. She had enough of people missing their cues and getting the dance steps all wrong. People were complaining about not being able to do the dance steps. The worst part was Mercedes having food poisoning, so they were one woman down. She needed to stop this before it became a train wreck waiting to happen.

 “You know what, hey I don’t want to hear any of this ‘we can’t do it without her’ because guess what we don’t have a choice so be warned if you are not giving this everything you’ve got I  _will_  go all Lima Heights on your sorry asses” She didn’t want to threaten them but she is a winner and she never settles for anything less.

The room became silent after Santana’s little outburst even though they loved her, they knew not to cross her. Tina tried her best to calm her friend down she didn’t like it when Santana got worked up. “I know, I’m sorry, I always go to the yelling place. I have rage.”

Mr. Schue, “I know you’re all tired and it’s been a long day, but Nationals is tomorrow and we have to make sure that choreography is on point. Santana has a point; we can’t breakdown now because Mercedes is not here. If anything we have to pull it together and give it one hundred percent. We will run through the moves one more time and then we can call it a day or night.” He concluded. He was proud of his children they’ve come a long ways.

They ran through practice again and this time around everyone picked up the dance steps which delighted everyone. They didn’t have to practice anymore and enjoy the rest of their night. Santana had plans with her parents, but made sure she met with her friends before the night was over. She had went to her hotel room that she shared with Brittany and the rest of the Trouble Tones to take a shower and change clothes.

Santana’s phone started to vibrate she didn’t bother to look at who was calling it was more than likely Quinn. She usually called around six or seven her New York time to talk to her and see how she was doing.

Santana couldn’t contain her joy, “Hey babe. I was just thinking about you.”

Quinn couldn’t help but smile, “Hey baby girl. I was thinking about you too. How did practice go?” She asked trying to keep her mind off of the hardest patient she had today.

“Practice was okay. I had to almost go Lima Heights on everyone because they were slacking off. Cheering for Sue really paid off they feared me.” Santana chuckled thinking about how everyone finally got it together.

Quinn shook her head leave it to Santana, “I am glad that everything fell into place with practice. So what are you doing right now?” She asked in a very low voice.

Santana got comfortable on the bed she loved it when Quinn’s voice went down a register. They haven’t had sex yet, but they have engaged in lots of phone sex. She practically became a phone sex pro thanks to Quinn. “I just got out the shower. I am meeting my parents and mama Judy for dinner in an hour. What’s on your mind?”

“You are. You must have had a hard practice. Did you enjoy your shower? Did you think of me?” She asked seductively.

Santana cleared her throat, “I always think of you when I am in the shower. I think about how your hands feel all over my body. What it would be like to touch your skin and feel you come around my fingers as I take you against the shower wall.” It took all her will power to not touch herself she didn’t know who was going to come back to the room.

Quinn bit back a moan, “How about I take you up against the wall and have you come all over my fingers and once you had enough of my fingers I would finish you off with my tongue. Then again I could always use my fingers and tongue, the choice is yours.” She was so turned on right now.

Santana didn’t care anymore she wanted Quinn bad, “I love the way your mouth feels especially when I am riding your face.” Her underwear was pretty much ruined. She reached her hand inside of her underwear and began stroking her clit lightly.

“Santana ahhhh…”Brittany squealed as she opened the door and saw her friend on the bed.

Santana froze, “Oh shit Britt! Close the door.” She could hear Quinn laughing on the other end of the phone this was humiliating.

“Looks like someone got caught with their hands in the cookie jar. I’ll talk to you tomorrow baby girl. I love you.” Quinn continued laughing before hanging up the phone.

Brittany looked at Santana with a smile, “Sorry to interrupt your sexy time with Quinn, but I wanted to let you know that your parents and Judy are waiting for you in the lobby.” Brittany turned on her heel leaving a mortified Santana behind.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Quinn slammed her phone down on her bed in frustration. She should have known that trying to sex Santana in the middle of a field trip, but she couldn’t do without her. They haven’t touched on the physical aspect of their relationship especially since she promised Maribel that she wouldn’t cross that line with Santana. True to her word she never took it beyond kissing and a little touching and she was always respectful of the couple who were her second parents.  Quinn still couldn’t believe that Santana’s parents were cool about the way Quinn felt for the teenager. They trusted her enough not to push her into something more. Her mom on the other hand wasn’t too thrilled about it.

_~Flashback~_

_J_ _udy paced the living room floor, “Santana? You have feelings for Santana? The same girl that you used to babysit all those years ago? The same Santana that I love just like she was my own daughter? What were you thinking? How did this happen?” To say she was shocked and a little disappointed was an understatement._

_Quinn dropped her head in her hands. She didn’t understand why her mom couldn’t grasp the concept; it’s not as if she was sexing Santana crazy. “Yes mom, that Santana. I honestly didn’t see these feelings coming. I knew I loved her, but when we started spending time together, and I was getting to know her. My feelings started to change slowly. I went from feeling sisterly love for her to real love for her. I didn’t plan on this to happen it just did.” That was the only explanation that she could come up with._

_Judy looked at her daughter incredulously, “That still doesn’t make it right Quinn. Santana is still young even though she is at the age of consent, she is still a child. I hope that you keep your feelings in check around Maribel and Xavier. I don’t want to lose their friendship and I don’t want them to think that you are doing inappropriate things with their daughter.”_

_“Mom, they know. Maribel was the one who figured it out and by proxy so did Xavier. They don’t see me as a sexual deviant or predator that wants to corrupt their daughter. If anything they seem relieved by it, but they have their reservations as well, which is understandable. They still trust me to look after Santana in New York.” She tried to explain to her mom._

_Judy couldn’t believe what her daughter was saying, “I do not approve of this because honestly you should be dating someone your own age. You are an adult you can make your own decisions. I don’t want you to get hurt if Santana decides that it’s not you that she wants. I don’t want Santana to get hurt if you realize that being with Santana isn’t what you want.”_

_Quinn had to admit her mom had a point but that is why she didn’t put any pressure on Santana. That’s why she told Santana that she wanted to take her time especially with her starting college in the fall. She wanted both of them to be sure._

_~End of Flashback~_

Quinn got out the bed her need for release forgotten. She felt kind of embarrassed that she needed an eighteen year old to get off. She didn’t know what to refer to Santana as since they weren’t exactly in a relationship. That was something that she needed to talk to Santana with when she gets the chance. She really wanted to be in Chicago for Nationals but she couldn’t reschedule her clients but she was happy anyways because she will see Santana next week for her graduation. Quinn couldn’t wait to see her Santana walk across the stage and receive her diploma. She realized that she needed to call Melissa and confirm their dinner plans for the night. Melissa although, still interested in her, became one of her best friends. The only thing she doesn’t know how things are between Santana and herself. Quinn decided to make the phone call to keep her mind off her a certain girl in Chicago.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Dinner was a delightful affair for Santana and her parents. They laughed and reminisced about Santana from when she was younger. Santana tried her best to hide her embarrassment at the stories she was told. She was quite the little rugrat no wonder her parents would always call her their little monkey. The conversation took a more serious tone though.

“I can’t believe you are graduating next week. I don’t want you to go.” Maribel told her daughter, she promised herself that she wouldn’t get emotional.

Santana tried not to cry, “Mami, don’t be sad. I will be in New York and I will come back and visit on breaks I promise. Besides it’s not like you will not be able to talk to me, we have phone, skype, Facetime, and airplanes. Think of me as being at cheerleading camp, but a little longer.”

“I understand where your parents are coming from Santana. I felt the same way they do when Quinn went off to college. It’s a lot harder especially if it’s your only child and your baby.” Judy offered it wasn’t too long ago that Quinn left for college herself.

Xavier spoke up seeing how uneasy this talk made his daughter, “Speaking of New York, are you going to move in with Rachel and Kurt before school starts or are you going to stay with Quinn until school starts.”

Santana didn’t really think about Kurt and Rachel being in New York. They got accepted to NYADA while she got into Columbia. Their parents thought it would be easier for the three of them to get an apartment together instead of living on campus. Santana objected to the idea because it would keep her away from Quinn, but her parents compromised that she could stay with Quinn before school starts and then move in with Rachel and Kurt. The decision was completely up to her.

“I will move into the apartment a week before school starts. I will stay with Quinn for the summer, that way I will not be annoyed by Kurt and Rachel the whole entire time.” She explained, not only that she could have some uninterrupted time with Quinn.

Xavier chuckled, “Why don’t you admit that you care about Rachel? You claim that you don’t like her but the way I see you act around her says something different. You two have been friends since you were in footie pajamas.”

Santana tried her best not to roll her eyes, “Really papi? Fine, I care about Rachel. I am actually glad that she is going to be in New York, Kurt too.” Santana looked at her watch, “I really need to go. It’s going to be a long day tomorrow. Thanks for dinner it was great.” Santana got up and kissed the adults on the cheek before leaving.

“Maribel, Xavier, you two did a great job raising her. She has turned out to be a remarkable young lady.” Judy complimented her friends.

Maribel smiled, “Well we had help from you and Quinn.”

They continued talking until they retired to their individual hotel rooms for the night.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Nationals were a blast New Directions featuring The Trouble Tones won first place beating out Vocal Adrenaline. Santana had two national championships under her belt for her senior year. Today was a great day she only wished that Quinn could be here to celebrate with her. She knew that she would see Quinn for graduation so that more than made up for it. The celebration was a blast but they knew they couldn’t celebrate all night considering they had a long bus ride back to Lima.

Brittany approached Santana, “We rocked the stage tonight. I wanted to say I am sorry about interrupting you and Quinn.”

Santana tried not to blush at the memory, “We will make up for it tomorrow night or when she gets to Lima.”

Brittany gave her a look, “I can’t believe you graduate next week and you will be leaving me.”

Santana gave her friend a side hug, “I don’t want to leave you behind Brittany; you should be graduating with us. I will be back to visit and if you need help you can always call me. I’ll even give you my notes. You really are a genius Brittany it’s time you believe in your own magic.”

They walked out of the auditorium hand in hand like they had done many times before. Santana was a little disappointed that Brittany wouldn’t graduate with her. She didn’t know that Brittany was doing so poorly in her classes.  Santana made a mental note to keep in touch with Brittany and have people help her along the way.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Quinn sat in the airport waiting on her plane to board she was a little nervous and excited to see Santana again. Even though they Skyped and Facetimed each other it was definitely different than being in the physical proximity of each other. Melissa had wanted to come along with her but Quinn told her that she would have a chance to meet Santana when she came to New York. After all she would be staying with her before Santana moved in with Kurt and Rachel. She couldn’t hold back her laughter when Santana had told her she was going to be living with Kurt and Rachel.

_~Flashback~_

_“You will never believe what your parents suggested.” Santana was irritable._

_Quinn knew something was wrong when Santana used ‘your parents’, “What did they suggest? Whatever it is it couldn’t be that bad.”_

_Santana sighed loudly, “They came up with the crazy idea that Kurt, Rachel and me share an apartment. Who even thinks of that idea? Do my parents want me to kill myself?”_

_She tried not to laugh, “Why would your parents suggest that? I thought the plan was you living with me while you attended school.” Quinn was a little confused._

_“Actually Berry’s fathers came up with the idea. They didn’t like the fact that Rachel would be living by herself in New York so they talked to Hummel’s parents and Kurt was roped in. Finally, my parents decided it would be good for all of us.” Santana explained, “I could stay with you before school starts and then move in with Kurt and Rachel. It’s not like I will be there that much anyways.”_

_Quinn tried to hide her disappointment, “I am sure your parents are looking out for you. We can still see each other. I am sure you will need a break from Kurt and Rachel or you might kill them.”_

_Santana laughed, “I would commit Hummelberrycide. I was looking forward to seeing you every morning and every night. We can finally make a fantasy a reality.”_

_“You know I would love more than anything to make the fantasy a reality. I’m tired of fucking my hand every night.” Quinn teased._

_Santana moaned softly, “I would love to help you scratch that itch.”_

_“You are so bad Santana Genevieve Lopez.” She tried to break the tension._

_Santana laughed softly, “I only learn from the best Lucy Quinn Fabray.”_

_~End of Flashback~_

Quinn couldn’t wait to get to Lima. She knew that she and Santana wouldn’t be able to do anything with all of her family being around.  Quinn hoped that they would at least get some time alone if not then they would have to wait until she gets to New York. The plane ride seemed a lot shorter this time around Quinn was happy to be back in Lima.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Santana was excited it was Friday night and she would be graduating on Saturday she thought this day would never come. She was on her way to glorious freedom but at the same time she was a little sad. Santana would be leaving her parents behind and venturing into new territory. Santana would be out of her element and that was frightening. Sure she would have Quinn there and she will have Rachel and Kurt as well but it wouldn’t be the same without her parents. Santana realized that it was also time for her to come out to her parents. She knew it was important especially if she was going to be with Quinn. Santana was tired of hiding and wanted to be free. The problem was she didn’t know when to do it since her family will be around.

“Mija where were you I’ve been talking to you for the past thirty minutes. You need to finish getting ready before everyone gets here.” Maribel told her daughter.

Santana was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t even here her mom talking to her, “I’m sorry mami, I was lost in thought.” She bit her lip, “Can I talk to you about something before everyone gets here?” Santana asked her mother timidly.

Maribel looked concerned and sat down on her daughter’s bed, “Of course mija. You can talk to me about anything.”

Santana sat down beside her mom, “You will love me no matter what right?”

Maribel brushed a stray hair out of Santana’s face, “Nothing you tell me will ever make me or your father not love you. Now tell me what this is about?”

Santana exhaled lightly, “Mami…I…I…like girls.” She stumbled a little over her words, “I like girls in a way that you’re supposed to like boys.”

Maribel hugged her daughter, “Ay mija. I was wondering when you were going to say something.” She whispered in her daughter’s hair.

Now it was time for Santana to be confused, “What do you mean?” She asked she was sure she did not hear her mother correctly.

Maribel broke the hug and looked at her daughter, “Mija, I’ve known you liked girls for a long time now. You and Brittany were not as discreet as you thought you were.” She smiled at her daughter.

“You knew about me and Brittany?” She was concerned if her mom knew about her and Brittany, then that means she knows about Quinn.

“Yes and so does your father.” She reassured her daughter.

Xavier walked by the door and stopped in when he heard Maribel talking to his daughter. He looked at his daughter who had a look of relief on her face. Santana looked at her father, “You know papi? About how I like girls and about me and Brittany?”

Xavier walked over and sat on the other side of Santana, “Of course mi corazoncita and I am okay with it. Why were you so afraid to come and talk to us? You know we will love you no matter what.”

Santana bit her lip before responding, “I don’t know. Maybe because abuelita thinks homosexuality is a sin and how she said she would disown a member of her family if she found out they were gay. I thought that you would feel that way too.” She told her parents honestly.

Her father continued, “We do not subscribe to your grandmothers beliefs. You are our daughter and we love you more than anything. So what if you like girls as we told you before, love is love. I knew there was more than friendship between you and Brittany. You couldn’t hide the way you looked at her. Just because we are old doesn’t mean we are blind.” He gave her a smile.

Santana couldn’t believe how well her parents were taking this. She honestly thought that her parents would yell and disown her or maybe even send her away to a Catholic college or something. They were cool about this, but would they be cool about her feelings for Quinn. Santana decided to wait about telling her parents about Quinn.

“I can’t believe you knew. Why didn’t you say something?” She asked out of curiosity.

Maribel looked at her daughter, “As I stated before we wanted you to come and talk to us. I want you to know that you can talk to us about anything. We will always have an open mind and we will love you no matter what.”

Maribel and Xavier wrapped their daughter in a hug. Santana was relieved that her parents were okay with her being a lesbian. Her parents were happy that she finally came to them and told them about her feelings. They meant it when they said they would love her no matter what. Now they were waiting for her to mention her feelings about Quinn.

“Alright corazoncita we have guests coming lets finished getting ready and enjoy your night. I know tomorrow night you will be with your friends.” Xavier kissed the top of his daughters head.

“Okay. Oxygen is becoming a serious issue.” She mumbled into her mother’s shoulder.

They finally let go when the doorbell rang. Maribel was the first one to get up followed by Xavier and Santana. Maribel looked out the window and saw Judy and Quinn standing outside and let them in. As soon as the door opened Santana launched herself into Quinn’s arms.

“Quinn!! I missed you!!” She squealed in delight and hugged her close

Quinn wrapped Santana in a big hug it took a lot of will power not to kiss her, “Hello to you too Santana. I missed you too.” She forgot how good it felt to have Santana in her arms; it’s as if she was coming home.

“Let Quinn go Santana. We want to get a chance to hug her too.” Xavier teased his daughter.

Santana finally let go of Quinn and made her way to Judy and gave her a hug too, “It’s good seeing you again mama Judy.”

Judy returned the hug, “It’s always a pleasure to see you Santana, even though, you saw me yesterday.”

Maribel shook her head, “Pay no attention to her; she is full of love tonight.

Quinn and Santana exchanged a meaningful look with each other. One that conveyed how much they missed each other and loved each other and a little bit of lust as well. Santana hoped that none of the adults in the room saw this exchange. The doorbell rang again and this time it was her abuela. Santana opened the door and let the older Lopez woman in.

“Santana mi bebe, I can’t believe you graduate tomorrow.” She gave her granddaughter a hug.

Santana returned the hug, “Si abuelita. I’m so happy.” She told her honestly.

Once everyone got situated they made their way into the dining room where the table was laid out with all of Santana’s favorite foods. Santana mentioned how she wanted something simple with her family since she would be with her friends tomorrow. She hoped that she could be with Quinn as well. They all sat down at the table and began to eat. Quinn sat across from Santana and tried to keep her eyes off of the girl in front of her, but Santana was killing it in that dress she was wearing. It was going to be a long night.

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

Dinner was in full swing conversations were being held and everyone was pretty much laughing the entire time. Santana was extremely happy that everything was going so well. That was until her abuela started asking Quinn questions.

“How is life in Nueva York Quinn? Tu tienes un novio?” She asked Quinn.

It was a miracle that Quinn was fluent in Spanish after all she did grow up around the Lopez family. She didn’t know how to answer that question not without giving away Santana and her sexuality.

“Everything is good in New York. I’ve been really busy with work and everything. Who knew that spring would bring a lot of troubled children?” She cleared her throat before continuing, “I really do not have time for a boyfriend, but there is someone that I am interested in though.” She avoided eye contact with Santana.

Alma smiled at the young woman beside her, “You are a pretty woman Quinn and you can have any man you want. So tell me about this person that you are interested in?”

Maribel decided to change the subject once she saw how uncomfortable everyone was getting especially Santana and Quinn. “Quinn I have Santana’s cake in the kitchen would you mind helping me get the plates.”

Quinn gave Maribel a grateful smile, “I would love to help you mama Lopez.” She got up from the table releasing the breath she didn’t know she was holding. She was not expecting abuelita to start asking questions about her love life.

Santana watched as her mom and Quinn left the dining room she had never felt so vulnerable in her life. She remained quiet as the adults around the table continued the conversation around her. What she was more concerned about was the conversation that her mother and Quinn were having in the kitchen.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

“I want to thank you for the save back there mom. I didn’t know how to answer her question.” Quinn told her second mother as she got the plates out the cabinet.

Maribel turned and faced Quinn, “No need for thanks. I know how it is to be put on the spot like that. Besides I don’t think she would take kindly to the fact that you like women and I don’t want you to lie.”

Quinn nodded her head, “I despise lying especially to abuela. She is like the human lie detector.” She joked.

Maribel laughed, “Believe me I know. Where do you think Xavier got the ability to spot a lie from? Let’s get the cake out to everyone. I am sure that you and Santana would like a little time alone.”

“Thanks mom but I already made plans with Amber. I am sure you and dad would like to have some alone time with Santana and abuela. I will be seeing her a lot so it’s only fair that you get this time with her.” She told the woman in front of her honestly.

“You have such a good head on your shoulders. And very wise beyond your years. Now let’s get going before they start wondering where we are.” Maribel walked out of the kitchen with the cake followed by Quinn.

Cake was had by everyone conversation flowed easily. Santana and Quinn decided to clean off the table and do the dishes together. It gave the adults time to converse and relax and gave her a chance to be alone with Santana at least for a little while. Santana made sure that the dining area was clear before she made a beeline towards Quinn.

“I missed you so much. It took a lot for me not to kiss you when you came through the door tonight.” Santana kissed Quinn quickly on the lips.

Quinn licked her lips, “I know what you mean and I have to say you are killing it in that dress. It should be illegal in all fifty states.”

Santana concentrated on the dishes instead of Quinn’s lips, “I wish we could spend tonight together.”

Quinn opened up the dishwasher, “I wish we could spend tonight together too, but look at it this way in a few days; you will be in New York with me. We will be together and we don’t have to worry about any interruptions or hiding.” She told her honestly. The very thought of spending all of that time with Santana made her happy.

Santana handed Quinn a dish, “I came out to my parents tonight. I told them that I liked girls.”

“You did? How did they take it?” She didn’t know that Santana was going to do it so soon. Even though she knew that Maribel already knew.

“They took it rather well, as a matter of fact, they knew even before I said anything. They were waiting for me to tell them.” She looked at Quinn before continuing, “I didn’t tell them about you and I though. I didn’t want them to be overloaded.”

Quinn moved her hand so that it was touching Santana’s, “I am happy that you came out to your parents and you don’t have to hide your sexuality anymore. As far as you and I go, you can tell them when you are ready, like I told you before I want you to make sure that being with me is what you want.”

Santana had to resist the urge to kiss Quinn right there on the spot. She didn’t want anyone to walk in on them together. That is not the way she wanted her parents to find out that way.

Santana gave her a smile, “Thank you Quinn. You make a lot of sense, but I want you to make sure that being with me is what you want as well. I know you and Melissa are friends and she is really into you, I would understand if you want to explore that with her.” Saying those words was like bile in her throat. She couldn’t stand Melissa and if she had her way she would make that bitch disappear.

It was Quinn’s turn to smile, “I don’t want Melissa she is a friend and I’ve dated many people but I know one thing is for sure that you have my heart.”

No other words were needed their eyes said everything that needed to be said. Their night ended in the kitchen with a promise to see each other tomorrow. Santana kissed her parents and abuela good night before heading up the stairs and going to sleep.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Santana was officially a graduate of McKinley High School along with her other friends. She was sad that Brittany didn’t get to walk across the stage with them but she knew next year that she would be back next year for her graduation. She ran over to where her family was waiting for her, she had her parents, abuela, aunts, uncles and of course Quinn and Judy there to celebrate her big day.

“You looked so good up there mija.” Maribel hugged her daughter.

“We are so proud of you little monkey.” Her Uncle Miguel told her.

Santana rolled her eyes, “I am not a monkey anymore Uncle Miguel. I am a woman and a high school graduate.”

This caused everyone to laugh, “No matter how old you get chiquita you will always be my little monkey.” He gave her a hug.

Kurt, Rachel and Mercedes made their way over to the group that was gathered around Santana. They were practically like family as well they all grew up together.

“Get over here you three!!” Xavier motioned for the three teens to come over and gave them all hugs.

Santana used this time to hug Quinn, “Did you see me up there? I make this outfit look good.”

Quinn kissed Santana’s cheek, “I am so proud of you. It’s amazing how you can make a cap and gown look so sexy.” She whispered in her ear.

Santana tried to hide her blush, “Only you would say something like that.” She giggled.

“Mija, come over here so I can get a picture of you and your friends together.” Maribel called to her daughter.

Santana let go of Quinn and made her way over to her friends, “A picture mom? Really?!” She groaned.

Abuelita swatted Santana lightly on the behind, “Callate mija and get over there with your friends.”

Santana rolled her eyes and got closer to her friends. Yes they annoyed her to no end but they were here family and she loved them dearly. They spent the next twenty minutes taking picture after picture with their families, individually and with each other. Quinn stood back and watched as everyone celebrated Santana’s big day.

“Quinn. I want a picture of you and Santana together.” Miguel called over to the young woman.

Santana gave Quinn one of her million dollar smiles as she waited for the woman of her dreams to take a picture with her. They have a lot of pictures together but she was sure that this one was going to be her favorite. They posed for a couple of pictures and everyone headed back over to the Lopez house. It was difficult for her to get alone time with Quinn but Santana knew that she would have time with her soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	26. Santana's New Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am so, so sorry!! I forgot that I posted this story here and forgot to update it here as well. I will be posting the chapters already written on ff.net.

Quinn sat in her office looking out the window lost in thought, she was in between clients and she had some free time on her hands. Normally she would have lunch with Santana but since she started school their lunch time didn’t happen as much anymore. She missed the lunches that she would share with Santana they laughed and she made the day a little more tolerable. Their nightly routine had also disappeared, with Santana living with Kurt and Rachel, studying at the library, or working on a project with classmates, classmates that were getting too close to Santana for Quinn's liking. She trusts Santana and knows that she's faithful to her and loves her unconditionally, but she doesn't know about one of her classmates.  The girl is really into Santana it’s actually quite disgusting if you asked her.Yes, they both agreed that Santana could explore her new world, but a part of her knew that Santana would always be hers. Santana is the best thing that's ever happened to her and she wouldn't change it for the world. They may not have the weekdays together but the weekends more than make up for it.

Quinn’s thoughts strayed back to when mom and dad came to visit. She thought that they were on to them especially since they were aware of how Quinn felt about Santana. If they suspected anything more then they weren’t forthcoming with the information. They tried to play it cool with their interactions around each other and tried to keep the longing looks to a minimum. She knew eventually that they were going to have to come clean about their relationship but she was going to wait until Santana was ready. She thought back to a Skype conversation that she had with Santana after she returned to New York after the girl’s birthday and Sectionals performance.

_Quinn's on Skype, video talking to Santana. Ever since her birthday, she kept her promises to keep in touch with Santana more. Santana will be moving to New York for college and she wants everything to continue running smoothly for them._

" _I miss you so much, Quinn, it's not the same without you here. I miss seeing you every day and watching TV with you." Santana told Quinn honestly. She had recently gotten her back and she had to leave again._

_Quinn smiled at the adorableness that was Santana,_ " _I miss you too. It feels so weird being here again, but don't worry, you will see me again over Thanksgiving, so that's something to look forward to." She reminds Santana even though the holiday was right around the corner._

_Santana rolls her eyes, "I know, but that's such a long wait. I miss my sweet lady kisses."_

_Quinn can't help but smile. She misses those too, even if they have to be secretive. She doesn't like sneaking behind their parents' backs, but it's totally worth it. Even though their parents know of Quinn’s feelings, they don’t know that they are actually doing things together._

_Quinn laughed,_ " _We'll have our sweet lady kisses when I come back for Thanksgiving; we can make up for lost time."_

" _Don't you forget it. Before I forget, mom says she wants you to call her so she can discuss some things with you." Santana mentioned as an afterthought._

_Quinn knits her eyebrows in confusion, "Like what?"_

_Santana rolls her eyes, "Me coming to New York for school. Does that ring a bell? "_

_Quinn relaxes a little. She has to admit that she's a little afraid of what Maribel has to say. For a second, she thought that Maribel had somehow found out about her and Santana exchanging more than feelings._

" _Don't be a smartass, Santana. I was worried that your parents found out about us getting a little physical with each other. Even though all we’ve exchanged were kisses and a few extracurricular phone activities. I don’t want them to think I am taking advantage of you." She explains._

_The teenager couldn’t help but roll her eyes_ , " _Let's be real here, my parents will never find out, right now they think we're just close. Once I leave Lima, we can become official and I'm legal, so it wouldn't be wrong." Leave it to Quinn to make things more dramatic than they are._

" _Barely legal, did you forget the part about your parents knowing how I feel about you.” She added for emphasis._

_Quinn watches as Santana crosses her arms and rolls her eyes, as she always does when she annoys or disapproves of something. Santana must have forgotten that Quinn is an expert in Santana Lopez 101._

_Santana sighed loudly,_ _“Chill out Quinn, we got this. I need to get going because I have school in the morning."_

_Quinn tries not to laugh, "Go to bed, I'll talk to you tomorrow. I love you, beautiful."_

_Santana smirks, "You're not my boss. I love you, though."_

_They blow each other kisses before disconnecting their call. That's the last image Quinn has before she goes to bed that night._

A soft knock at the door brought Quinn out of her musings. Sometimes, she got lost in all things Santana. She called them inside, turned around and saw Melissa standing in front of her desk.

"I spent five minutes knocking; I thought I was going to have to come in here." Melissa told her.

Quinn gave Melissa an apologetic smile, "I was lost in my thoughts, to what do I owe this visit?"

Melissa smirked and sat down, "I was wondering if you wanted to go to dinner tonight? It feels as if I don’t get a chance to see you as often as I used to. Not since that child came here to go to school.”

"Her name is Santana and she is not a child and hasn’t been for a while. I don't understand what the big deal is. I thought you liked her?" Quinn asked. She didn’t understand where the dislike for Santana came from.

Melissa knew she struck a nerve, “I do like Santana, but it's not natural for you to be spending so much time with her on the weekends.  She's in school now and I know she has friends of her own. You don't have to play baby sitter to her anymore. As you said, she's not a child." Santana was the only thing standing in the way of her dating Quinn.

Quinn crossed her legs, she really wanted to tell Melissa what the deal was with Santana, but she didn't want to take the chance. She didn’t care what Melissa thought about her and Santana but she knew that Melissa would give her grief about it. Melissa was not afraid to show how much she was interested in her, but she explained to her that she wasn’t looking to date anyone and wanted her as a friend. No more, no less and she seemed to be okay with that.

"I know she's not a child and I don't play baby sitter to her, I just want to look out for her. Santana's parents trust me to do so while she goes to school here, it's the only reason they agreed to let her come. Now to answer your question, I'm free tonight since Santana will be studying with a friend." Quinn replied letting Melissa know that the issue was no longer up for discussion.

Melissa smiled triumphantly, "I knew you would see it my way. Cheesecake Factory at seven, don't be late."

Quinn watched as Melissa walked out of the room. She couldn't help but check her out after she left. Melissa was very attractive and she totally would have dated her, had another person not held her heart.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Santana was sitting in her Sociology study group in the library, trying to concentrate, but it was hard when she had Quinn on her mind. Before she started school, they would always have lunch together, but now those lunch dates were few and far in between. It sucked that she doesn’t see Quinn as often during the week, but they have their weekends and that’s all that mattered to her. She didn’t know what she was thinking when she decided to major in Sociology, these classes were insane.

"Santana, are you even paying attention?" A female’s voice brought her out of her thoughts.

She looked over at the girl addressing her, "Yes, I am, Noelia, you're talking about the effects of social media on people today." She applauded herself for being able to zone out and listen.

Noelia smirked, "Good, I want us to get an A on this project, I have to maintain my A average in Professor Jones' class."

This remark caused the other two people at the table to roll their eyes. They really couldn't stand Noelia to them she was an overachiever and know-it-all. Not only that they knew for a fact that Noelia had a major crush on Santana.

"Listen, Blondie, you will maintain your A, don't get your panties in a twist. Quit worrying about Santana and let’s finish this. I have other things to do." Michael replied irritably.

Santana gave him her best glare, "Lay off of Miss. Perfect here. It's been a long day and I need to get my relaxation on, so let's call it a day and we'll meet back here on Wednesday." Santana addressed the small group.

Noelia was grinning like a Cheshire cat; she loved it when Santana took charge. The group broke up and went their separate ways, leaving Noelle and Santana alone. She had been trying to work up the courage to talk to the girl properly, but couldn't bring herself to do it. Today would be the day she would conquer her fear.

"Santana?" She approached the girl with a little more confidence than she showed earlier in group.

Santana continued packing her books without looking up, "What's up?"

Noelia pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, "I was wondering if you would like to umm...get a bite to eat with me?"

Santana thought about this for a minute, she was hungry and Noelle seemed pretty cool and she could use another friend in the city, besides Rachel and Kurt. She enjoys having them around but sometimes they can be annoying with all their NYADA stuff going on. Sure they hung out and did things together but there was only so much of them she could take since she lives with them.

Santana finally looked at the girl standing in front of her, "Sure, where do you wanna go?"

Noelia smiled, "There is this little bistro on Bleeker and 22nd street Luigi’s I believe, the food is to die for."

"I've always wanted to go there, so let's go." She grabbed her messenger bag and they walked out of the library.

The walk to the Bistro didn't take too long as it was about a block away from the library, which Santana was thankful for because she was hungry. Oddly enough, she found herself enjoying the other girl's company, and her being blonde didn't work against her either. They entered and took a table that was near the window so they could people watch, which was one of Santana's favorite things to do.

Noelia decided to break the ice, "How long have you been in New York?"

Santana looked up from the menus that were already placed on the tables, "I've been here for about three months now, it's very different where I come from.

Noelia’s ears perked up when she heard this, "You're not from New York?" She thought everyone was from around here.

Santana shook her head, "Nope, I'm from Lima, Ohio. Are you from New York?"

The waitress came over and took their food orders. The waitress was trying her hardest to flirt with Santana but she wasn’t paying attention to her. Noelia on the other hand noticed how the waitress almost forgot she was there and made a beeline for Santana. This didn’t sit well with her but she didn’t say anything for fear of scaring Santana off. The waitress finally got the hint and walked off.

Noelia decided to answer Santana’s question, "God no, I'm from Atlanta, which is kind of like the New York of the south. So what made you decide to come to New York for school?"

Santana took a sip of water, "I just wanted something different. I needed to get out of Lima, it's so confining. I fell in love with New York when we came here for the show choir Nationals."

Noelia laughed at this, "You were in show choir? You don't seem like the type. I thought you'd been a cheerleader or something." She didn’t like stereotyping people but Santana to her was too beautiful to be in show choir.

Santana cocked her head to the side, "I was a cheerleader too, I was captain of the Cheerios, took the team to Nationals twice."

"Why was your squad named after cereal?" She asked, intrigued. She had been right about Santana being a cheerleader.

Santana shrugged, "I don't even know to be honest, but our coach was a real beast and the biggest slave driver of the Midwest. What made you decide to come to New York for school? Georgia has some of the best schools down there." She wanted to know a little more about Noelia. It didn’t hurt that she loved her southern accent as well.

Noelia’s expression changed, "I came out to my parents, they weren't happy about it. They didn't kick me out or anything, but they made it difficult, so I applied to different schools. Columbia accepted me, and even gave me a full academic scholarship so here I am."

Santana felt bad for the girl in front of her she was happy that her parents understood and accepted her for who she was. They decided to keep it away from her abuela though, that is one person that Santana couldn’t stand to lose, but she knew eventually she would have to come clean to her especially if she and Quinn had planned on being together.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, but you're here now. You can meet new friends and enjoy life. After all, you have met yours truly." Santana replied.

Noelia laughed she liked how Santana could be caring one moment and then cocky the next. The waiter brought them their food. They spent their entire lunch laughing and getting to know each other. Santana realized that Noelle wasn't a bad person or as high strung as she thought. Little did she know that they were being watched, and the person watching wasn't too pleased.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Quinn had just finished up with her last appointment before lunch and she was starving. She regretted only having coffee and a bagel for breakfast that morning, but she'd been running late and hadn't had time for a proper breakfast. Since she and Santana do not reside in the same place anymore breakfast was more of a luxury that was saved for the weekend.

She decided to try the little bistro on Bleeker and 22nd. Melissa had told her the food there was heavenly. When she arrived, she noticed it was very contemporary and upbeat. She was greeted by the hostess and led to a table toward the front entrance. Quinn looked over the menu, trying to figure out what she wanted to eat, when she heard Santana's laugh. She looked around to see where it was coming from and spotted Santana sitting with the classmate who had a crush on her. She had dropped by one of Santana’s study sessions to surprise her and that is when she noticed how the other girl hung on to Santana’s every word.

The waiter came by and took her order. She tried not to look in Santana's direction, but she couldn't help it. They looked a little too close for comfort. Quinn knew she had to get over her jealousy streak she knew that Santana would be around people her own age. She couldn’t help but get a little discouraged that Santana might actually like that girl and would try dating her. Quinn did say she wanted Santana to spread her wings and explore, she didn’t realize that it would hurt in the process. Maybe she was over thinking everything like usual.

"Is this seat taken?" A familiar voice asked her.

Quinn looked up and saw Melissa standing there, "Melissa, what are you doing here? Are you stalking me now?" This sent alarms off in Quinn’s head, she saw this woman less than an hour ago.

Melissa shook her head, "No, Daniel actually called in lunch and I'm here to pick it up, but it's not ready yet. So can I sit down?"

She tried to hide her annoyance, "I don't see why not, I can always use the company." She answered, still looking over in Santana's direction.

Melissa followed her line of sight and saw Santana sitting at a table, talking to a girl who looked about her age. She turned around to look at Quinn and saw a look of pure disgust on her face. It was obvious that Quinn was jealous of the girl chatting up Santana. This was brand new information to her Quinn had a thing for Santana.

Melissa decided to use this to her advantage, "Did you know Santana was going to be here? Who is that girl she's with? She's quite pretty."

Quinn rolled her eyes, "I didn't know she was going to be here, pure coincidence. The girl's in Santana's study group. She's alright, if you're into that preppy kind of thing. I’ve seen Santana with better."

Melissa could hear the disdain in Quinn's voice, it almost sound like jealousy. She was curious about how her friend really felt about Santana – if she was really only just looking out for a friend, or if there was more to it. She started formulating a plan to find out exactly what was the deal with Quinn and Santana.

She was cocky now, "You almost sound jealous. What's wrong with Santana hanging out with a girl from her class? She's young and beautiful. Santana has her whole life ahead of her, it's time to cut the apron strings and let her be free."

Quinn looked at her, "Nothing's wrong with her hanging out with people from her class. It's good that she has friends other than Kurt and Rachel. I'm not jealous, it's just that Santana is really special to me, and I want the best for her, like any girlfriend would. Besides I don’t think she has the best of intentions." She wasn’t aware of her little slip up.

Melissa caught her slip up, "Did you just say girlfriend? Is there something going on between you and Miss. Lopez that I should know about?" This was just what she needed.

Quinn was thankful when the waiter brought her food; it gave her something to concentrate on while she was trying to come up with a valid excuse. She was trying so hard to keep her relationship with Santana a secret as it would look bad for a psychologist to adolescents to have a relationship with someone of Santana's age.

Quinn took a bite of her sandwich, "She's my girlfriend, a girl who is also my friend. You've gotta remember I've known her since she was six."

Melissa tried again, "It must be hard to be around such a pretty young thing. I know if I had someone as gorgeous as Santana around me, I would definitely be into her. “She was nonchalant about it.

She had enough, "Melissa, I don't know what you're trying to imply, but whatever it is, stop it. Why are you so interested in me and Santana? Are you interested in her?" Quinn really hoped that her friend wasn’t.

She gave the other woman a confused look, "I'm just saying this thing that you have with her is not natural. She's a little girl playing in a big girl's world. As far as me being interested in her goes, the answer is no. I like my women a little more mature I'm just afraid that you playing house with Santana is preventing you from getting out there and dating."

Quinn really wanted to tell Melissa to take the crap she was spouting and shove it up her ass. She was quite happy with the way things are between her and Santana. They had their own lives and they had their time together. It worked out pretty well for the both of them. Melissa said she wasn’t interested in Santana but a tiny part of her feels otherwise.

"I'm not concerned about dating right now, I told you that. I'm focused on my career. Now I need to finish lunch so I can get back to my clients." She said calmly a little too calmly for Melissa’s liking.

Quinn watched as Santana and the girl got up and left the restaurant together. They were still laughing and chatting in a friendly manner. She watched as the other girl slipped her arm through Santana's and she was not happy about it. Santana was hers; she didn't appreciate that girl putting her hands on her, especially if said girl had a crush. Melissa watched as the different emotions played across Quinn's face. She knew there had to be more than what Quinn was letting on.

The guy behind the counter called Melissa’s name, "I'm not going to stop you from your lunch, enjoy and I'll see you later on for dinner." Melissa got up and made her way to the counter.

Quinn watched Melissa get up without saying a word. She was thinking about Santana and that girl. Tonight, before she had dinner with Melissa, she was going to talk to Santana about her classmate and find out what was going on.


	27. Santana and Quinn Come Clean

Quinn was exhausted when she entered the apartment she had dealt with two very problematic children who just wouldn't open up today. Normally it’s not a problem because she has ways of getting children to open up but with these children it was like pulling teeth. She just wanted to forget about her day and spend time with Santana before she went to dinner with Melissa. Santana had sent her a text that she was coming over to the apartment tonight something about them being on a school holiday from Tuesday through Sunday. Quinn wasn’t complaining any time with Santana was a good time. She wanted to cancel dinner with Melissa but Santana told her to keep them because Rachel and Noelia were coming by tonight to keep her company. 

Quinn looked around for any sign of her girlfriend. She made her way further into the apartment and saw her sitting at the dining room table surrounded by books. Her hair was in a high, messy, ponytail and she had a pencil in her mouth. She looked like she was concentrating hard on what was in front of her.

Quinn made her way over to her and kissed her lightly on the cheek, "Hey, baby, studying hard?"

Santana looked at Quinn, "Yes, I have an English Lit test on Monday; it counts as thirty percent of our grade. I want to get this studying out the way before Rachel and Noelia come over tonight."

Quinn frowned at the mention of Noelia’s name. She didn't like her; it was obvious that she had a serious hard on for Santana. That didn't sit very well with her; she wanted to throttle the girl every time she saw her. She wasn't a jealous person by nature, but when it came to Santana, the green-eyed monster could not be tamed.

"Noelia? You told me that you weren’t working on your assignment tonight, so why is she coming over here to hang out with you and Rachel? Do they even know each other?" Quinn asked.

Santana could tell that Quinn was jealous, "Babe, they do know each other, she’s come over to the apartment a couple of times to study, and Noelia is good company. You can hang out with us if you want." She suggested, hoping that it would appease her girlfriend's jealousy.

The offer was really tempting to Quinn, “No, you told me that I should keep my dinner plans with Melissa, so that is what I am going to do.” Quinn answered as she made her way to their bedroom.

Santana got up and followed her into the room to talk to her about their day. Plus getting to watch Quinn get undressed was a bonus. She wanted to know more about Quinn's dinner plans with Melissa. Santana had a serious dislike for the woman as she had tried several times to flirt with Quinn in front of her. She had to control her temper, or else Auntie Snix would have to make an appearance and go all Lima Heights on her ass.

Santana sat on their bed, “Why is she suddenly inviting you to dinner? Doesn’t she have other people that she can have dinner with? You know friends who are single.” She mentioned the last part casually.

Quinn stepped out of the closet to find Santana stretched out on the bed. She displayed her outfit on the bed in front of her, “We haven’t had dinner together in a while. Besides you were not supposed to be here tonight missy.” She threw a pillow at the girl sitting on the bed.

Santana just glared at her. Quinn did have a point about her not being their tonight but Santana forgot that they had the next five days off from school. She understood about Melissa missing her, the two of them haven’t been hanging out like that. Santana felt that Melissa's intentions weren't all that pure especially with the whole flirting debacle.

 Santana rolled her eyes, "There is something about her that causes my spidey sense to tingle, alright. She is into you Quinn if she was a cat in heat she would probably spray you.”

Quinn walked over to Santana, kissing her lightly on the lips, "Melissa can be a bitch, but she is a good friend to me. And after today she kind of knows how I feel about you."

Santana quirked an eyebrow, "What do you mean?" They weren’t telling people about them just yet.

Quinn bit her lip, "Well, I kind of let it slip that you were my girlfriend, but I explained that you were a girl who is also my friend."

"Real smooth Fabray, like she couldn't figure out what you meant." Santana replied to Quinn giving her a ‘really’ look.

Quinn gave her a playful look, "Does it matter if she knows? There is nothing wrong with our relationship, you're old enough and we love each other. Who gives a fuck what she thinks, you have my heart and I have yours, that's all that matters." Quinn told her with conviction.

Santana licked her lips, "I love it when you get passionate about us. I hope you are this passionate when we well mom and dad about us. What time are you meeting Melissa for dinner?"

Quinn paused and thought about what Santana had said, “Did you just say when we tell mom and dad?” She was not ready for this piece of information.

“Yeah, I think it’s time that we tell them the truth. I’m tired of lying and I don’t want to hide us anymore. There are so many ways that I can say that there is nothing going on between us.” She told the woman in front of her honestly. Yes, they agreed to let her explore college life, but she could explore college life and still be with Quinn. “So again I ask what time you are meeting Melissa for dinner?”

The older woman walked over to Santana and straddled her lap, “If you want to tell mom and dad then we can tell mom and dad. Be prepared for a million questions though you are their baby.” Quinn whispered against Santana’s lips. “And to answer your question I am meeting Melissa at seven. What time are Rachel and Noelia coming over?”

Santana moved her hands under Quinn’s shirt caressing her skin with feather light touches, "Seven," She looked at the clock, which flashed five o’clock, "We have an hour or two to ourselves to do whatever we want to do."

Quinn leaned in and kissed Santana on the lips, she couldn't get enough of them. They were so inviting and she loved the way that they tasted, like strawberries and something else that was uniquely Santana. They were her favorite part of Santana's body, followed by her eyes. The way Santana’s hands touched her skin set her skin on fire. She didn’t know how Santana did it but she didn’t want her to stop she has fallen under the spell that is Santana Lopez. The kiss was slow but passionate; Quinn could tell how Santana was feeling by the way she kisses. If they kiss without the use of tongue Santana’s feeling playful and wants to kiss. If the kiss was with tongue then she knew that Santana was turned on and wanted to fuck. If the kiss was a mixture of tongue and no tongue then she knew Santana wanted to make passionate love. Right now the way their tongues were battling Santana was ready to get down and dirty which was alright with her.

Quinn murmured against Santana's lips, "Right now, I want to do you." She pushed Santana back on the bed.

Santana moved and grabbed the hem of Quinn's shirt, pulling it up a little more to touch her skin. Quinn had the softest skin she'd ever felt. Santana broke the kiss and motioned for Quinn to lift her arms up so she could take her shirt off. Quinn let out a growl of frustration. She didn't care about clothes – all she wanted was Santana. She watched as she pulled her shirt off and tossed it on the floor, leaving Quinn in her bra and her skirt.

"You look so fuckable right now." Santana whispered against Quinn’s ear flicking her lobe with her tongue.

This made Quinn wetter than she was before, "Then why don't you stop" kiss "teasing..." another kiss "and start fucking me." She said breathlessly.

Santana grabbed Quinn by the hips and flipped her so she was now under her. She gave Quinn a smirk that was almost predatory. Santana was about to go in for the kill when the ringing of her phone interrupted them.

Quinn moaned in frustration, “Fuck me!”

Santana looked at Quinn, “I’m trying to but my phone won’t stop ringing.”

This was wildly out of character for Quinn but right now she didn’t care, “Ignore it and let it go to voicemail. Whoever it is you can call them back. I want you Santana.” There was a hint of desperation in her voice.

Santana didn’t want to stop but she knew she had to, "It's probably mom and dad I have to answer it."

She got off of Quinn and ran into the living room to get her phone, leaving a sexually frustrated Quinn behind. She didn't understand why they always got interrupted during their sexy times, it was a sure fire way to kill the mood.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Santana made it just in time to answer her phone, "Hello?" She tried to regulate her breathing.

"Hey sweetheart, how are you?" Her father's voice came across the line.

Santana rolled her eyes, "I'm fine, papi, how are you? Is something wrong? You normally don’t call me during the week." This was unlike her father usually her mother called.

Xavier chuckled, "I see being in New York hasn't changed you. I'm doing fine, Santana, I wanted to talk to my baby girl and see how she is doing.” He explained to her.

Santana frowned  she told her parents pretty much everything about what was going on in her life, about New York and living with Lady Hummel and Berry and school. She couldn't think of anything else that she could possibly tell him.

“I've already told you and mom what's going on here, and if you remember correctly, you were here less than three weeks ago." She told him.

Xavier let out an exasperated sigh he knew he couldn’t put anything past his daughter, "What is going on with you and Quinn? Don't give me that same story you give me every time I ask about you and her."

Santana watched as Quinn entered the living room and sat down beside her. She mouthed that her father was on the phone. This stopped Quinn from doing whatever it is that she had intended to do.

Santana bit her lip lightly, "Nothing is going on between Quinn and I, papi. Why do you ask?"

Xavier decided to get to the point, "I found out that you and Quinn are together. I wanted to wait and see if you were going to say something about the two of you being together.”

"What do you mean?" She asked, trying not to betray any emotion in her voice. This is not how she wanted to tell her parents. They were very discreet when they had visited.

"Don't play dumb, Santana, you know what I mean. Are you and Quinn in a relationship?" Xavier wasn’t angry he just wanted his daughter to come out and tell him.

Santana looked at Quinn as Quinn looked at her. She must have heard what her father had asked. This was not the way she had wanted to tell her parents. She had planned on telling her parents when she went home for Thanksgiving, so she wouldn't have to do it over the phone.

There was a slight pause before Santana decided to answer, "Yes, papi, Quinn and I are dating."

Santana heard her mother in the background, "Oh my God! I knew it." Her mother came to the phone, "Why didn't you tell us, mija?" A mother’s intuition is never wrong.

"I didn't know how you would react to me and Quinn being together. You’ve been supportive of me being a lesbian, but I didn’t know if you would support my relationship with Quinn. I had plans of telling you over Thanksgiving so I wouldn’t have to do it over the phone." Santana replied she didn't know whether she should be relieved or scared at her parents' reaction.

Xavier could hear the relief in her daughter’s voice, “You could have told us when we were visiting. We wouldn’t love you any less and you know how we feel about Quinn.”

Santana kept looking at Quinn the entire time. She could see the different emotions playing out on her face. She just really hoped that she wouldn't freak out and decide to end things with her, especially since so far, things with her parents were going alright. She kissed the woman beside her lightly on the cheek and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Put the phone on speaker, I want to talk to Quinn as well." Maribel told her daughter. She knew about their feelings for each other and she had an idea about the two of them being in a relationship.

Santana put the phone on speaker and placed it down on the table. They shared worried looks about what was going to happen next. Quinn put her hand in Santana’s as a way of comforting each other.

Quinn exhaled, "Hi mom and dad." She greeted them.

Maribel was the first one to speak, "Hello Quinn, how are you?" She knew for a fact that Quinn was just as nervous as Santana if not more.

Quinn found her voice, "I'm doing well, thanks for asking. H-How about yourself?" She silently cursed herself for stuttering. She didn’t even stutter when she told Maribel about her feelings for Santana.

"Things are going great here. So how long have you and Santana been dating?" Maribel asked she was curious if they had started dating before or after Santana moved to New York.

The two duo exchanged bewildered looks, "We've been dating for about three months." She replied. It wasn't a complete lie; they didn't start officially dating until Santana came to New York.

"I can't say I'm surprised, considering how Santana always felt about you, even when she was younger. Then the way you two were acting when we were up there, I noticed the glances and the touches. You're not that sneaky, we know you." Xavier spoke up.

Santana was really embarrassed right now; not only did her parents find out about her and Quinn, they were actually joking about it. This caused her to blush and they say that ethnic people don’t blush.

Santana decided to speak, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I really had to come to terms with it on my own, and like I said before, I was afraid you would have a problem with us being together.”

Maribel spoke again, "Never, sweetheart, we love you and we want you happy. If Quinn makes you happy and you make her happy then we are happy. This conversation is far from over, though." She made sure to add that because she wanted to know more.

"We know, mami, we really need to go. Quinn is meeting with a friend tonight and I have a couple of friends coming over. We'll Skype tomorrow, love you," Santana replied.

"We love you and Quinn too. Bye baby." Xavier responded and the line disconnected.

Santana let out a sigh of relief; it went a lot better than what she had expected. She thought she was going to feel the wrath or her parents, or better yet she thought that they were going to drag her back to Lima, kicking and screaming. They didn’t have to hide their relationship anymore the people who she loved the most already know.

Quinn gave Santana a quick kiss, "Well, we don't have to worry about mom and dad anymore." She was relieved as well; they didn’t have to hide their relationship anymore.

Santana was confused, "They took it amazingly well, but how the hell did they find out?" She looked over at Quinn, who looked just as confused as she was. No one really knew about their relationship except for Kurt, Rachel and a few other people from Glee and a couple of Quinn's friends. None of them would say anything to her parents or anyone else for that matter.

Quinn looked at her, "I don't know, maybe they caught us kissing or something." She kissed Santana on the cheek, "Don't worry about it, babe, it's out in the open and we don't have to sneak around anymore."

Santana watched as Quinn got up and walked into the bedroom. She looked at her watch and rushed to clean up the dining area and the rest of the house. She couldn't have friends over with the apartment a complete mess. She tried to push the conversation with her parents out of her mind. All she wanted to do was enjoy a night with her friends.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

As Quinn was getting dressed a sense of calmness washed over her. She was happy that her and Santana's relationship was out in the open with her parents. She wondered how her own mom would take it if she knew the nature of their relationship, but knowing Maribel, she probably already told her. She was expecting a phone call soon. She didn't understand how they found out, though. They had been very secretive or so they thought. Quinn decided to push the thought out of her mind when she heard the doorbell ring. She knew it was probably Rachel and that girl from Santana's class that she didn't like. She tried not to get jealous about the other girl in the picture. She was just a friend and not really a threat, so she hoped. Quinn put the finishing touches on her outfit and walked out of the room and into the living room where she saw the three girls sitting at the table, laughing and talking. She walked over to them and was immediately greeted by Rachel.

"Hey, Quinn, it's good to see you again. It feels like we haven't seen each other in a long time, you look really pretty." Rachel told her, she had a huge admiration for Quinn.

Quinn smiled, "It's good to see you again too, Rachel, and without Kurt." Normally the two of them were attached at the hip.

Rachel laughed, "Kurt is too busy trying to get this guy, Sebastian, to date him. He is such a jerk, but Kurt likes him." She didn’t know what her friend saw in him he looks like a meekrat as Santana would say.

Quinn smiled she knew a little about Sebastian thanks to Santana, “I’m sure he has some good qualities especially if Kurt likes him. What about you and Brody? How are things with the two of you?” She only met him once but she didn’t like him. She felt like he was hiding something and Santana told her that she felt the same way.

“Things with us are going really well. I would have been with him tonight but he was detained at work but I will see him tomorrow though for dinner and a show.” She finished with a shrug.

Santana finally decided to break up the gossip fest, “Looking good, Quinn, should I be worried?" She teased.

Quinn smirked, "Nope, soy toda tuya y solo tuya." She replied. Growing up around the Lopez family, she'd picked up some Spanish along the way.

She watched as Santana raised an eyebrow at her, which caused Rachel and Noelia to look back and forth between the two of them. Noelia was completely lost because she didn't understand a word of Spanish. But from the way that they were looking at each other it was something flirtatious. Rachel understood, having been around Santana since they were kids. This wasn’t anything new to her after all she was the one who had them see the metaphorical light.

Santana cleared her throat, "You remember Noelia don't you?"

Quinn eyed the girl critically, "Yes, I do remember Noelia. It's good to see you again, I would love to stay and chat with you, but I really have to go.” She looked at her watch and saw that it was seven on the dot.

Quinn turned and walked away, which prompted Santana to follow her to the door. Once she and Santana were out of sight from her friends, Quinn kissed her hard on the lips. This caused Santana to moan in pleasure; she loved it when Quinn got possessive.

Quinn whispered in Santana’s ear, "You are mine, remember that. Noelia gets you at school, your study group, and when you hang out. Other than that she needs to keep her hands and her looks to herself, because you belong to me" Another kiss, "Got it?"

Santana rolled her eyes, "I got it, now go meet with Melissa before she starts blowing up your phone. You should also remember that you belong to me too. Melissa needs to fall back or I will have to go all Lima Heights on her ass.” She told her seriously.

Quinn opened the door and walked out, leaving Santana to close the door behind her. Quinn felt satisfied, but part of her wanted to do that in front of Noelia, so she would get the picture that Santana was happily taken and all hers.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Santana made her way back into the living room where Rachel and Noelia were freely talking about  _The Wizard of Oz_  and  _Wicked_. She couldn't believe that Noelia actually liked Broadway shows and musicals. The girl was from Atlanta she thought she would have better taste than that.

"Alright, enough about  _Oz_  and  _Wicked_ , we have some awesome movie choices on Netflix tonight. I'm about to pop some pizzas into the oven." Santana interrupted their conversation.

Rachel looked at Santana, "There's a vegan one, right?" She couldn’t fathom the thought of experiencing another accident that she had with Finn.

Santana rolled her eyes, "Oh please, Berry, don't confuse me with your inept ex Finnocence. I would never forget you're vegan." Santana would never forget that they grew up together of course.

Santana walked out of the living room and into the kitchen to put the pizzas in the oven. She liked times like these where she could just relax and enjoy time with her friends. Sometimes, she thought about Brittany and wondered what she was doing, but ever since they graduated, they kind of lost touch and Santana was okay with that. She walked back into the living room and flopped down on the couch, switching to Netflix.

"So what do you want to watch tonight? And if you mention anything with Barbra Streisand, Berry, I will ends you." Santana warned she was tired of all things Barbra.

Noelia spoke up, "Before you ends her? Where you raised in the hood or something?" She asked out of curiosity.

Santana smirked she was going to have fun with this, "I'm from Lima Heights Adjacent, it's on the wrong side of the tracks. You don't want to go there at night, though."

Noelia was very much intrigued now, "Why not?" A girl with street cred you definitely can’t go wrong with that.

Santana continued smirking, "Cosas malas." She loved saying that along with “No me gusta!”

Rachel rolled her eyes, "Don't listen to her, Noelia. Lima Heights Adjacent is a gated community in the upper class section of Lima. I lived down the street from her since we were little kids. Santana likes to pretend she's from the wrong side of the tracks, to scare people."

Santana threw a pillow at Rachel, making Noelia laugh. She liked the side of Santana, when they were in school she was serious. The more she saw of Santana the more she started to like her. She was everything she was looking for in a girl even if she doesn’t have street cred. A pillow fight erupted between the three girls, but they made sure not to get them torn because last time that happened, Quinn had had a bitch fit. The timer went off on the stove, signaling that the pizza was ready. Santana excused herself and made her way to the kitchen to take them out of the oven and slice them up.

She called out into the living room, "Rachel, you know how it's done here, get your own food and your own drinks."

Rachel and Noelia came into the kitchen and put pizza on their plates, before getting something to drink. Once everyone was settled with food and drinks, Santana turned on  _The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo_. They ate their pizza and watched the movie in silence, everyone intrigued by what was going on.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Quinn made her way to the restaurant, where she was greeted by Melissa. They exchanged their greetings and were shown to their table. It was fifteen after seven she was glad that the other woman wasn’t upset with her.

Quinn placed the cloth napkin on her lap, "I hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long?"

Melissa shook her head, "No, you didn't. I actually just got here myself, so you're good." She couldn’t keep her eyes off of Quinn’s lips.

She couldn’t resist, “I know I am… it’s good that you noticed.” Quinn joked, she actually missed this.

Melissa wasn’t going to let it go, "Always, Fabray, always. I hope one day I can find out how good you really are. Anyways, I'm glad you decided to have dinner with me, I miss my friend."

Quinn looked over her menu, "Stop being so dramatic, we see each other for dinner or lunch almost every other week. Plus we went to the movies last Saturday." She decided to ignore Melissa’s suggestive remark.

Melissa frowned, "Correction love, I went to the movies with you and Santana last Saturday, there's a difference." She had to put it out there.

"My mistake, well we're having dinner tonight without Santana, so that makes up for Saturday. I'm hungry, let's order." Quinn suggested. She didn’t understand what the woman’s deal was with Santana.

The waiter came, took their orders and told them that he would be back with their drinks shortly. They resumed their conversation Quinn prayed that there was no more talk of Santana. She wanted to have a pleasant evening out without mentioning the girl.

"Speaking of Santana, what is she doing tonight again?" Melissa asked, trying to get more information out of Quinn.

Quinn was growing tired of this, "She's having a movie night with a couple of her friends tonight. I told you this when we had our conversation this afternoon."

Melissa sipped her merlot, "It's good that she has friends her age, that way she doesn't monopolize all of your time. I'm surprised her parents aren't worried that you two spend so much time together." Melissa pressed on.

She tried not to show her growing distaste for this conversation. She didn't understand why Melissa was pressing her so hard about Santana. It's not like she and Melissa were dating or trying to date each other. It didn't sit right with her. The obsession that Melissa had with Santana was a little scary.

Quinn raised an eyebrow, "Why are you so concerned about Santana's parents and what they think? Her parents trust me and they know what's going on with us, it's no big secret. And what is your obsession with her? We can’t have a normal conversation like two adults without you bringing her up."

Melissa looked directly at Quinn, "Look, Quinn, I see the way Santana looks at you and the way you look at her, it's not right. She's younger than you, much younger than you, it'll never work out. You need someone who is more on your level and can keep up with you intellectually. I'm sure Santana can do that, but you can't sleep with her. Now myself on the other hand, I can do it all if you would give me the chance.” _Checkmate_ , Melissa thought to herself

Quinn leaned in closer to Melissa, "You don't know what you're talking about. Maybe she's younger than me, but she is wise beyond her years. I like being with her and I like spending time with her, as far as sleeping with her goes it's none of your business if I am or not. I already told you I am not interested in you like that and I wanted to be friends. Now drop the subject or you will continue this dinner on your own!" She told her in a harsh whisper. _Game, Set, Match,_ Quinn mentally congratulated herself.

Melissa decided to leave it alone, much to Quinn's delight. Quinn still had a nagging feeling in the back of her mind about the woman sitting across from her. She knew that Melissa was into her but she didn’t know how much she was. Quinn seriously had to rethink their friendship and fast before Melissa becomes too much to handle.

 

 


	28. Quinn Takes Control

Quinn returned home from dinner with Melissa, it went a little better once all conversations about Santana was left alone. She entered the apartment and found Santana and Rachel asleep on the couch, Rachel was laying half on and half off of Santana and her head was resting on her shoulder, her arm was lying across Santana's stomach. She would have been jealous, but it's Rachel and there is no attraction between them, which made Quinn happy. She had to admit that they did look cute together, she pulled out her phone and took a couple of pictures, never know when a little blackmail comes in handy. Quinn didn't have the heart to wake them up, but she knew that leaving them on the couch was out of the question.

"Rachel? Rachel?" Quinn called her softly.

Rachel stirred a little, "Y-yes." She answered not fully awake. Rachel was comfortable and didn’t want to be disturbed.

Quinn tried not to laugh, "I know Santana is comfortable, but I think you would be better off in the bed." She loved laying on Santana even if it was a little weird with their height difference but she made a great cuddle buddy.

Rachel didn’t move at all, "Don't want to move, I'm comfortable." She mumbled.

"If Santana wakes up and find you asleep on her." She started out, but she saw that Santana was already semi-awake.

Santana looked down at Rachel who was resting comfortably on her, "Rachel, if you do not get off of me right now, I will throw you on the floor." She didn’t even know how they ended up in that position.

This caused Rachel to get up off of Santana quickly; she couldn't believe that she and Santana had fallen asleep on the couch. She didn't even remember falling asleep on the other girl; it was a little awkward to say the most. Rachel had to admit to herself that she did like it a lot but knew this was probably a one-time thing.

Rachel finally gathered her bearings, "I'm sorry Santana. I didn't realize how tired I was. I don't even remember falling asleep, but you are very comfortable to sleep on." She tried not to blush during her little explanation.

Santana closed her eyes, "Please tell me this is a dream?" Sure there were times that they had fallen asleep on their couch at their apartment but this was new to her.

Quinn laughed, "Nope, not a dream, and I have pictures to prove it." She unlocked her phone preparing to show the two girls the pictures.

Santana looked at Quinn, "Did you just say pictures?" Quinn wouldn’t do that to her, if those pictures got back to her parents she would never live it down.

The woman looked at Rachel sympathetically, "It's late Rachel, why don't you stay over tonight. You still have clothes here from when you stayed over the last time. There is also an extra toothbrush that hasn’t been used, in the guest bathroom under the sink." She told the other girl, clearly ignoring Santana.

Rachel smiled, "Thanks Quinn, it's really appreciated. I'm going to go to bed now; I'm tired and have an early day tomorrow. Good night Quinn and Santana."

They watched as Rachel left the living room, until she was out of sight. Santana turned her attention back to Quinn and she didn't look too happy.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Quinn looked at her smirking, not saying a word, then turned and walked towards the bedroom, Santana following behind her. She closed the bedroom door behind them.

"Pictures Quinn? Really?" She stretched out on the bed looking at Quinn as she undressed. She loved Quinn’s body especially her ass.

Quinn just smiled, "Yes, pictures, you two look so adorable lying there like that. If I didn't know how you felt about her, I would have thought you two were a couple." She turned giving Santana an ample view of her breasts.

Santana threw one of the small pillows at Quinn it was taking all of her will power not to take her on their dresser. Quinn walked over to the bed and climbed on it crawling slowly over to Santana a predatory look in her eyes. She climbed on top of Santana straddling her to hold her in place she definitely intended to finish what was started before they were so rudely interrupted. Quinn didn’t have dessert with her dinner she wanted to get as far away from Melissa as she could, so tonight Santana would be the dessert.

Santana was a little more than turned on, she was upset that their play time was interrupted, and right now Quinn looked so hot straddling her, "If anyone sees those pictures, I will go all Lima Heights." Santana smirked, "Would you be this calm if it was Noelia laying on me like that? Would you think it was adorable then?" She knew she was playing with fire but this was definitely a burn she wouldn’t mind having.

Quinn gave her a seductively, dark, look one that Santana has seen a couple of times and that means Quinn was about to take control which she didn’t mind at all. Something about being under her control turned her on entirely. There were times though where they would both fight for dominance because they are both used to being and control and they are former Cheerios captains. Santana didn’t say anything else she wanted to see how far Quinn was going to go.

Quinn kissed Santana hard and bit her lip in the process before letting it go, “If that was Noelia with you like that all hell would break loose. I don’t like the way she looks at you and if she was to ever touch you I would rip off her arms and beat her to death with them. No one touches what’s _mine_.” Her voice went down a couple of octaves. “Tonight, I am going to show you that you are mine.” She pulled the tank top Santana was wearing swiftly up her body and tossed it on the floor.

Santana looked at Quinn through hooded eyes she knew not to cross the woman who literally held her fate in her hands. She didn’t know that mentioning Noelia would get Quinn wound up like she was, but she was hot and horny as hell. She had a thirst that was about to be quenched by her very sexy lover.

Without a second thought Quinn attacked Santana’s lips which turned into a very heated and passionate kiss. Quinn traced her tongue teasingly along the bottom of Santana’s lip asking for entrance. Santana was more than willing as their tongues started battling for dominance. Santana moved her hands to Quinn’s hips and slowly moved them up her body until they stopped on her breasts. She started massaging and kneading the soft globes with her hands she loved the way they fit in the palm of her hands.

Quinn threaded her fingers through Santana’s hair as she moved from Santana’s lips to her jawline down to her neck sucking it lightly. The devil got into Quinn and she began sucking a little harder she wanted to leave a mark. She mentally congratulated herself as she felt Santana buck up against her; she knew that the girl underneath her was ready for the follow up. Quinn took her time before moving back up to Santana’s ear and sucking on her earlobe before speaking, “I want you to put your hands on the headboard and don’t let them go until I tell you to. Do you understand?” She pulled back and looked at Santana with a devilish smirk.

“Y…Yes I understand.” She panted out as she moved her hands from Quinn’s breast to hold on to the wooden slats that were in their bed.

Quinn was enjoying this she got off of Santana and began stripping out of her skirt and panties, giving Santana a full view of her well sculpted body. Quinn was a little more than turned on seeing Santana laying there all helpless and frustrated. Without saying another word she moved back to the bed and instead of straddling her this time she tapped Santana’s legs. She watched as her gorgeous tanned legs parted like The Red Sea for her. Quinn smirked and used this opportunity to explore Santana’s legs with her hands. She knew that Santana was expecting her to go down on her but that wasn’t the plan tonight. She settled in between her legs and explored her thighs leaving feather light kisses along the way. She could feel the muscles flexing in her legs and she relished in the fact that it was because of her.

“Place your feet flat on the bed.” Quinn commanded lightly. She smiled when she wasn’t met with any hesitation. Quinn knew Santana wanted this just as much as she did. She moved her right hand up further up Santana’s thigh until she was met with Santana’s center. Quinn’s mouth was literally watering because Santana’s panties were soaking wet and it was all because of her.

Santana’s body was on fire all thoughts she had in her head were gone, all she could think about was Quinn between her legs and what was going to happen next. This is the first time that she was not able to participate in their love making. It’s hot and erotic and only something she imagined in her wildest dreams. Now her dream was about to become a reality.

“Q...Quinn don’t tease. I need you now.” She tried not to sound impatient.

Quinn raised her eyebrow, “Did you forget that I am in charge right now? Be a good girl and it will be worth the wait. Become impatient and I will leave you high but you definitely won’t be dry.” She patted herself on the back when Santana became compliant. Something came over her tonight and all she wanted to do was claim Santana.

Once Quinn saw that Santana was compliant she continued her exploration of Santana’s body. She started massaging her center lightly through her panties and she used her thumb to rub her clit in a slow circular motion which caused Santana to moan passionately. She was definitely getting off on this, she now had complete control over the girl and she loved it. Quinn moved the offending fabric of Santana’s barely there panties aside and without warning plunged two fingers inside of her. This quick motion caused Santana’s hips to rise up a little bit she definitely wasn’t expecting that.

Quinn stopped what she was doing and looked at Santana, “Did I hurt you?” The last thing she wanted to do was hurt her.

Santana shook he head, “No, no you didn’t hurt me. It was unexpected.” She breathed out.

Quinn started moving her fingers in and out of Santana slowly, “Good, I don’t want you to think that I would ever hurt you.” She told her in a hushed tone. Quinn situated herself so that she was in between Santana’s legs which would give her better access to Santana.

Santana pressed her head back onto the pillow enjoying the pleasure that Quinn was giving her. She moved her hips in time to Quinn’s thrusts she was in hell but she knows that her orgasm would be pure heaven. She spread her legs a little more to have Quinn go deeper inside of her. She knew that might be a problem because she still had on her panties but all rational thought flew out of her head.

Quinn’s pace quickened as she felt Santana’s walls flutter around her fingers she decided to turn it up a little bit, “Who’s fucking you right now Santana?” She locked her eyes on her prey.

“Y..you are Quinn.” Santana panted out trying not to get lost in the fire that was being created in her body.

Quinn rewarded her with another thrust before stopping, “Who do you belong to Santana?” She asked her in a low voice. She continued moving her fingers loving the fact that Santana was dripping wet for her.

Santana bit her lip before crying out, “I…I belong to you. I’m yours, I am so yours.” She tried to keep her voice down but Quinn wasn’t making it easy.

Quinn picked up her pace ferociously she was a woman possessed, “That’s right Santana you are mine! Not Noelia’s or any of your other classmates, but mine.”

Santana’s orgasm ripped through her leaving a blaze of fire in its wake. She could hear herself screaming Quinn’s name loudly as she came. She let go of the headboard and reached down to grab Quinn’s wrist to still her motions, but Quinn pushed her hand away. Santana knew it was a losing battle Quinn was determined to make her come again.

Quinn used her free hand to remove Santana’s from hers, she knew that Santana had enough but she wanted her to come again. She wanted Santana to let go and give up what little bit of control she had left. Quinn curled her fingers and sent for the little spot that would cause Santana to shoot off like a rocket. She continued her motions rocking her body back and forth against Santana’s she was going to get off from this too. After a few well times thrusts she got what she wanted when the girl beneath her soaked her fingers, hand, wrist and bed with her juices. She used her free hand to hold Santana’s hips down as she helped her ride out her orgasm. Quinn collapsed on top of Santana having had an intense orgasm herself. She still had her fingers buried deep in the girl beneath her.

Santana was exhausted and she’s pretty sure she will be sore in the morning but it was totally worth it. She kissed Quinn feverishly before wrapping her arms around her. Santana’s lust filled mind slowly cleared and she realized that Rachel was in a room across the hall and probably heard everything. A part of her didn’t care and the other half prayed that she slept through that.

Santana cleared her throat, “Y…You don’t have to worry about me and Noelia. I don’t want her; I already have who I want. You have my heart Quinn, you have my love and you definitely have my body. I am yours just like you are mine.”

Quinn looked at Santana with an intensity she has never seen before, “She is really into you Santana. I don’t want to lose you to her. She is younger and very pretty, and blonde which seems to be your type.”

Santana raised an eyebrow at Quinn, “I only have one type and she is laying right here with her fingers still in me.” She was being truthful she didn’t want anyone else but Quinn. Sure Noelia is smoking hot, but she only has eyes for the woman lying on top of her. “I should be worried you have Melissa drooling over you like you’re a platter full of bacon. I see the way she looks at you, it's like she wants to be the one dating you or something."

Quinn frowned at this there was no way Melissa was still hot for her, Quinn frowned, "No, she doesn't Santana; she just has friendly feelings for me."

She didn’t understand why Quinn kept defending that woman, "For a psychologist, you are dense when it comes to people in your life. Melissa wants in those pretty little panties of yours. You're just in denial, but I see it, I see a lot more than you know. I am people smart and I can put things together, you know this. She pretends to like me, but deep down she can't stand me because I have something she wants."

She continued looked at Santana, “What’s that?” This was something that she had wanted to hear.

Santana smiles, "You, I have you, and it pisses her off.  Before I came, the clone of Jessica Alba probably didn't give you the time of day, but when I made an appearance she's all up in your grill."

Quinn couldn’t help but chuckle at Santana calling Melissa a Jessica Alba clone, “You don’t have to worry about her. I have who I want right here right now. You have my heart babe, you’ve had it for a very long time and no one will ever change that. I love you Santana Lopez and I won’t let anyone come between us.” She kissed Santana a final time before removing her fingers from Santana’s core.

Santana whimpered at the loss of contact but she knew she was going to be super sore when she woke up in the morning but it’s totally worth it. She wrapped her arms around Quinn as they both drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Santana was the first one to wake up, she looked at the clock and saw that it was a little after nine. She looked over at the woman sleeping beside her and kissed her lightly on the cheek, before grabbing her phone off the nightstand. She tapped the screen and looked at it; she had a few text messages from Brittany, missed calls from Noelia and Mercedes. Santana was about to reply to Brittany's message when her phone started vibrating.

"Hello?" She answered, her voice laced with sleep.

"Hey Santana!" Noelia’s voice came through the phone, "I hope I didn't wake you." She said the last part apologetically.

Santana sighed softly, "No, you didn't wake me up, I was getting ready to text a friend of mine back. Why are you calling me this early? It’s Tuesday and we are on vacation."

Noelia laughed, "I wanted to see if you wanted to get together for lunch later. I mean if you're not busy with Quinn or whoever."

Santana looked over at Quinn who was still sound asleep, "Let me find out what's going on for the day and I will get back to you on that okay?"

"Okay." Noelia replied cheerily before hanging up.

Santana put her phone back on the night table and snuggled into Quinn. A few minutes later Santana felt Quinn try to wiggle out of her grasp, she just held on tighter not wanting to let the woman go. Snuggling with Quinn is her favorite thing to do, other than kissing her that is.

Quinn started shifting, "Santana, let me go, I have to go to the bathroom. If you don't let me go I will pee all over your leg." Quinn mumbled groggily.

Santana wasted no time letting the woman go; the last thing she wanted was a golden shower. She watched as Quinn got out of the bed and made her way to the bathroom. Sometimes it's hard for her to believe that she and Quinn are actually together and her parents are okay with it. She thought for sure her parents would flip, considering she was the one who took care of her since she was six. Santana tried not to drool as Quinn made her way back to the bed and lay down beside her.

"Morning beautiful, who was that calling this early in the morning?" Quinn leaned over and kissed Santana on the cheek.

Santana turned on her side to face the woman, "That was Noelia; she wanted to know if we had plans today. She wants to get together for lunch later." She knew that she was breaking a rule by mentioning her in their bed but Quinn asked.

Quinn frowned, "What did you tell her?" She tried to keep the green-eyed monster at bay.

“I told her I would check with you and I would get back to her later.” She ran her fingers through Quinn’s hair lightly.

Quinn resisted the urge to smile, "Tell her you have plans with me, and you can get together some other time. It's very rare that we get time during the week together babe."

"I know honey bunny. I'll send her a quick text to let her know that we can't get together.” She picked up her phone and sent a quick text to Noelia asking for a rain check. She turned her attention back to her girlfriend, “Quinn I have a question?" Santana asked, trailing her fingers lightly along Quinn's arm.

"You can ask whatever you want honey." Quinn turned on her side, so that she is now facing Santana.

She sighed softly, "Did you ever think that you and I would be together like this?" Santana needed to know this, no she wanted to know this.

Quinn looked into Santana's brown eyes before answering, "To be perfectly honest, not really. It wasn't until I came home for your birthday, that things were different." She saw Santana look away, "Hey look at me." She smiled when Santana was looking back at her, "You were young Santana, and I never really saw you that way. Although, a certain someone had a huge crush on me, when she was younger."

Santana couldn't hide the blush that crept in her cheeks, "I thought you were awesome, and very pretty. Could you blame me? What changed? I mean when did you realize you had feelings for me?"

"When I first came home, I saw you way before you came over to the house to give my mom that envelope. You came home from cheer practice and I saw you get out your car and walk to the mailbox. I was amazed at how beautiful you were, you turned into a very beautiful young woman, which I always knew you would."

Quinn paused before continuing, "I think things started changing for me after you laid the verbal smack down on me. I saw the hurt and pain written all over your face, with a little help I put the pieces together. I had broken your heart, with my absence, and then there was the time we spent together while your parents were away. I was getting to know the much more grown up Santana, and I fell in love with her along the way."

Santana tried not to cry as Quinn was telling her this. She asked because she was curious about how and when Quinn really felt this way about her. Santana leaned in and kissed Quinn softly on the lips, she didn't have any words to say.

Quinn licked her lips, "I don't want you to wake up one day and say, this isn't what you want anymore, you're young and there are much prettier and younger girls than me." She told her sheepishly.

Santana smiled, "Nope, this is where I want to be, there is no one else for me. I've been in love with you since I was six; you were the only woman for me."

Quinn furrowed her brow, "Then how do you explain Brittany?"

The girl cleared her throat she wasn’t expecting this question, "Brittany and I were best friends, it started out as little innocent things like hugging and linking our pinkies together. As we got older, we started experimenting with each other, and along the way I fell in love with her. I thought mom and dad were going to flip their shit when I told them I am a lesbian, but as I told you before they already knew." 

Quinn hugged her close, "I know that was a hard time for you, believe me I know. I had to come to terms with my sexuality as well, I figured out I was bisexual, but I loved the ladies a little more than the guys. Mom was cool with it though, she always knew. I thought your parents were going to flip when they found out about us, they trusted me with you."

Santana laughed, "I thought they were going to freak out when they found out as well. Our parents are probably going to have a lot of questions for you when we go home again."

Quinn pushed Santana back on the bed and straddled her waist, "Bring it on!" She smirked as she bent down and started attacking Santana's lips.

 


	29. Santana and Quinn Make Plans

Rachel had left later that morning, after fixing breakfast for Santana and Quinn, to thank them for their hospitality. Quinn had told her it wasn't necessary, but Rachel insisted, one thing she learned that if Rachel had her heart set on something, to go ahead and let her do it. So she allowed Rachel to cook breakfast for them, which was rather delicious, despite neither Quinn or Santana were vegan. Luckily Rachel didn’t hear their little late night sex fest, Santana was very grateful for that.

"Here we are, alone at last." Quinn sighed as she sat down next to Santana on the couch.

Santana put her arm around her shoulder, "I thought the hobbit would never leave, it's bad enough we had to cut our sexy time short. I wanted to hear you scream my name."

Quinn smirked, "The only name that has ever been screamed was mine. If you're good, there will be a repeat performance later. So what do you want to do today?" She teased she had screamed Santana’s name a couple of times.

Santana looked thoughtful, "I'm down for that. I don't know, as long as I'm with you, then it really doesn't matter. We could sit outside on the sidewalk and I would be content."

Quinn smiled, "Why don't we go for a picnic in Bryant Park? We haven't done that in a really long time, it's been unseasonably warm as of late. We can eat and enjoy the sun our faces, become one with nature."

Santana thought about it for a minute, it had been a long time since they've done something like that, especially with their schedules for school and work. Sometimes Quinn had to put in hours at the office on the week-end, so things like that had to be put on hold. She had to admit she had issues with being seen with Quinn out in public. She was afraid of the looks that they would receive, considering Quinn is older than she is, but then again Quinn didn't really look her age. Santana was surprised that no one made a big deal about it which made her more comfortable with everything. If it would have been Lima, then everyone would have had a problem with it. One thing was certain though, she loves Quinn like never before, and she isn't afraid to let the world know.

"I would like that, and then we could ride the carousel." Santana joked.

Quinn tapped her leg, "Remember when our families went to Kings Island, you were seven and you begged and pleaded with dad to take you to the Grand Carousel? You were so happy, because you finally got the chance to ride a horse. Even though it wasn't a real one like I wanted." She remembers that day like it was yesterday.

Santana smiled at that memory, she had always wanted a pony, but her parents said that she couldn't have one because it took a lot to take care of them. The carousel was the closest thing she has ever gotten to ride a horse. She remembered how she waved and called out to Quinn every time she went by, and how Quinn would always smile and wave back to her. That was the best day ever.

She smiled shyly, "Yes, I remember and I think I had a tantrum after the ride stopped and it was time for us to go somewhere else." She was not a happy camper at all she could have stayed on the carousel all day.

Quinn laughed, "I wouldn't call it a tantrum you literally had a breakdown. Dad had to actually pick you up just to keep you from running back to it. In the end though, you ended up riding it again three times."

Santana smacked Quinn's arm, "I was a kid, besides that's as close to a real horse that I was going to get. Again, I was seven now I'm almost nineteen that is a huge age difference."

Quinn's phone started going off on the kitchen counter causing a groan of disappointment from Santana.  She really hoped that Quinn didn’t have an emergency with work, today was her day. Quinn could deal with children and their crazy tomorrow. She watched as Quinn got up and went to answer her phone.

Quinn answered her phone, "Quinn Fabray speaking?"

 "Hey Quinn, I was wondering if you had some free time today, I wanted to see if you wanted to do a little shopping today and have lunch after." Melissa's voice filtered through the phone.

She glanced over at Santana, "I would love to, but I'm going to have to take a rain check. Santana and I are spending the day together; it's been a while since we've done it." Quinn replied.

That answer gave Santana a sense of satisfaction, she was wary of Melissa, she didn't like her and she knew for a fact that the woman didn't like her either. She didn't care though, because she had Quinn and she loves her.  She tried to tune out the rest of their conversation.

Melissa tried not to let her frustration show, "Oh, okay. Well maybe some other time then. I don't want to interrupt your time with your little friend. What do you have planned?"

Quinn bit her tongue, "We're going on a picnic in Bryant Park today and then do some other stuff after wards. It gives us time to ourselves, without worrying about work or school." She replied sweetly.

Melissa feigned interest, "I'm sure that you two will have a lovely time. Don't let me interrupt your time with Santana; I don't want her to think you like me more than her."

Santana heard Melissa’s little remark and decided to do something about it. Quinn would probably hate her for it, but she was done playing nice. Especially to some skank who wants her Quinn.

“Baby! I need you to come and help get me off.  I can’t do it without you.” Santana gave Quinn a devilish grin.

With that being said Quinn hung up the phone and looked at Santana in shock. She was not expecting that but she had to admit that she was proud of Santana. Quinn was mildly turned on by that little display of naughtiness she had going on.

“You are so bad Santana. You do know now that she is probably going to ask a gazillion questions.” She gave her an impish grin.

Santana shrugged her shoulders, “Oh well let her ask. Melissa needs to understand that you and I are a couple and whatever feelings she has for you, she needs to get over them, before I make her get over them.” Santana wanted to try and erase Melissa from the picture but she knows she can’t. Melissa is Quinn’s battle not hers.

Quinn looked thoughtful, “Does Noelia know about you and I?” She asked out of curiosity, Santana never mentioned if the other girl knew or not.

Santana bit her lip, trying to come up with an answer, "She knows that I am dating someone, but she doesn't know that it's you." Honestly it didn’t come up, Noelia didn’t push, so she wasn’t going to outright tell her.

Quinn looked at Santana in confusion, "Why haven't you told her you're dating me? Are you ashamed to let her know?" Her heart dropped a little bit she was more than a little hurt that Santana didn’t mention to Noelia that they were together.

"No, I'm not ashamed to let her know, so don't think that. I haven't told her, because I don't want to make things awkward between us. I like her friendship and even though you don't like her, she thinks you're cool. I'm sorry." Santana picked at the invisible lint on the couch.

Quinn caressed her cheek lightly, "I'm not upset Santana, just a little surprised that's all. I'm not going to force you to tell her. She's going to find out eventually, and I'll think she'll be more hurt if you don't tell her sooner rather than later." She lifted Santana's chin so that she was looking at her, "Besides, I don't want to have to throw you down kiss you like crazy in front of her." To Quinn that was a great idea make that little girl back off.

Santana laughed, "Classy Fabray, really classy." She leaned in and kissed her lightly on the lips, "Now let's get up and get ready to go. We can have sexy times later." As much as she loved possessive Quinn she did not need her to make an appearance; well not yet at least.

Quinn watched as Santana jumped off of the couch to get ready for the day. She didn't understand why Santana didn't tell Noelle about the two of them. She's very secure in their relationship and knows that Santana is hers. Quinn knew one thing for sure, that if Noelle tries to come in between them, she was definitely going to clue her in about her and Santana. She got out of the bed and followed Santana in the bathroom, maybe they could get their sexy on while in the shower.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Noelia was sitting outside of Starbucks reading a book, she was a little disappointed when Santana had text her and said they couldn't hang out. It didn’t surprise her when she had said she was hanging out with Quinn. She still doesn’t understand the nature of their relationship. Noelia knows that they are close considering Quinn used to babysit her but their dynamic seemed like girlfriends than actual friend. When she was over their apartment yesterday, she noticed the little looks between them. She made a mental note to ask Santana the next time that they were together. Noelia pushed the thought out of her head and continued enjoying her book and the sunshine. She put her book down when she noticed footsteps approach her table.

Noelia looked at the woman standing near her table, "Is there a problem?" It was a little weird having a complete stranger looking at her.

The strange woman gave her an appreciative look, "No there isn’t a problem. I saw you reading and decided to come and say hello. You’re Noelia right? Santana’s friend?” She asked not wanting to alarm the girl.

Noelle raised an eyebrow, “That depends on who you are and how do you know that I am friends with Santana?” She eyed the woman critically something didn’t sit right with her.

Melissa smirked, "I am Melissa a mutual friend of Santana and Quinn. Do you mind if I sit down?" She gestured at the empty chair.

She shook her head, "I don't mind. So how do you know who I am?" It’s not every day that a complete stranger approaches her.

The woman knew she had to come up with some reason as to how she knew who she was, "Well, I saw you and Santana having lunch together one day, and she said your name when I asked her about you. It's beautiful by the way." It was a lie but the girl didn’t need to know that.

Noelia blushed, "Thanks, a lot of people make fun of me for it they say it reminds them of Christmas. Not to be rude or anything, but why are you here?" This woman had to have something better to do than sit and talk to her.

Melissa chuckled, "A girl who gets to the point, I like that. I wanted to talk to you about Santana. What do you know about her relationship with Quinn?"

Noelia looked at Melissa skeptically, "Well, I know they've known each other since Santana was a little girl, so they are awfully close. I do think Santana has a crush on Quinn, which is gross because she is too old for her." She saw the look on Melissa's face before adding, "Not that I have anything against older women dating younger women.  Quinn is quite the hottie; if I was older I would totally date her." She wasn’t above complimenting the woman because Quinn is gorgeous.

Melissa licked her lips it was now or never, “She does have a close relationship with Quinn but I know for a fact that she is quite smitten with you.”

Noelia tried her hardest not to laugh, "Me? What have you been smoking? Also, what color is it?" She didn’t know that Santana felt that way about her.

Melissa tried hard not to roll her eyes, "Yes, you, believe it or not Quinn is quite jealous of you. Who would blame her? You're just as cute as ever." Melissa always followed her rule number one, always compliment the person you are manipulating, they will never suspect.

Noelia started playing with her book cover, "Hate to break it to you but Santana isn't interested in me. She only sees me as a friend, so her being into me isn't a possibility. Besides, it seems like the person in question only has room in her heart for Quinn." She answered dejectedly.

The woman tried not to make gagging noises this was too soap opera-y for her, "Does she know how you feel about her? Have you ever told her that you liked her as more than just a friend? Maybe she is waiting for you to make the first move." Melissa was following her rule number two always plant a bug in another person’s ear.

Noelia looked thoughtful for a minute, "No, I never thought about that. I thought that if I was to tell her how I felt, she would laugh and I would lose her as a friend. I don't want to risk that, Santana is the only one who really gets me." She wasn’t lying about that she felt like she and Santana were kindred spirits.

Santana was really the only one who got her. She didn't really have a lot of friends outside of the other girl and she was truly grateful for that. It would crush her if she lost Santana as a friend because of what she feels for her. A part of her wanted to take that chance, but another part of her just wanted to run away and hide.

Melissa tried again, “She’s afraid of how you would react; you know if she was to tell you how she felt." This was going to be a lot harder than she thought.

A smile played on Noelia’s face, "Are you serious? She likes me? As in like me as more than a friend?" This was the best news ever maybe she had a chance with Santana after all.

Melissa knew she had her, "Deadly serious. So I think it's time you tell Santana how you really feel, it will make you feel better. I am sure that Santana will be happy that her feelings are mutual.”

Melissa knew it was wrong to manipulate the girl in front of her, but Noelia is a sure fire way to get Santana away from Quinn. She's been into Quinn since the first time they had dinner, but then Santana had to come and ruin it all. Melissa felt that if she could hit Quinn where it hurts and by proxy Santana then their relationship would be over. Quinn would be devastated and run to her while Santana would run right into the arms of her best friends and they would be over finally. Melissa would have Quinn and all would be right in the world.

Noelia thought about it for a moment before responding, "You know what? You're right; I think I will tell her how I feel. Maybe tomorrow since she is spending the day with Quinn." That was the downside.

She came prepared, "I think today would be better. As a matter of fact, they are going to Bryant Park this afternoon, you can tell her there. There is no way she could turn you down if there are a lot of people around." This was like taking candy from a baby.

Noelia thought about this for a little bit, she's seen it done in movies all the time. She didn't think Santana would be that cruel to turn her down in public. Besides it would be super romantic, it worked in movies, so maybe for her it would work in real life.

Noelia was sold, "I think I will do it. It works in the movies; I will declare my feelings for Santana. Quinn and whoever else be damned.”

Melissa cheered internally, "That's the spirit. I think you should go now, before you lose the courage." She encouraged the girl. This was going to be a glorious victory for her.

Noelia knitted her eyebrows in confusion, "I would like that, but there is one slight problem. I don't know where they will be at." Sure Bryant Park wasn’t all that big but it would probably be hard to spot them.

Melissa’s smile grew wider, "Don't worry. Give me your phone number and I will text you exactly where they are. Or if you're not comfortable with that, you can always call Santana, but she would get suspicious."

Noelia wrote down her phone number and handed it to the lady in front of her. She was a little confused as to why the woman wanted her to tell Santana how she felt about her. Noelia wanted to know what was in it for her.

The girl sipped at her caramel macchiato "Thanks it means a lot. I have a question though." She looked Melissa in the eyes, "Why do you want me to tell Santana how I feel. What do you get from this?"

Melissa smirked, "You get what you've always wanted and I'll get what I've always wanted. It's a win-win situation for the both of us. Now run along, before it's too late. I'll be in touch." She mentally congratulated herself. Manipulation is her favorite game to play even if it means someone getting hurt.

Noelia gathered up her belongings and left Starbucks with a small bounce in her step. She was finally going to tell Santana how she feels, and possibly even get the girl. To her it was turning out to be the best day ever.

 Melissa watched as the girl walked away with a satisfied smirk on her face. She couldn't wait for the fallout between Quinn and Santana; it was going to be delicious. She just hoped the girl didn't get cold feet. Melissa watched as the girl disappeared down the sidewalk, before pulling out her phone to call Quinn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Melissa is that EVIL!!!


	30. Santana and Noelia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noelia decides to follow Melissa's advice...this will not be good.

Santana and Quinn found a spot in the park and Quinn helped Santana spread the blanket on the ground. The weather was beautiful, and the sun was shining brightly, it was the perfect day for them to have a picnic. Once they were situated Quinn started unpacking the contents of the basket. She pulled out some bacon, ham and Swiss sandwiches, individual bags of potato chips, and a couple of sodas. They didn't pack much knowing that they would be picking up something on the way home for dinner tonight.

Nothing was really said between the two as they were enjoying their lunch, they were content in just being in each other's company and listening to the people around them. To Santana it was definitely the start of the perfect day with Quinn, she wouldn't want it any other way. Their moment of silence was interrupted by the incessant buzzing of Quinn's phone which caused Santana to sigh in disappointment.

"I'm sorry baby." She apologizes as she answers the phone, "Quinn Fabray."

Santana couldn't help but smile at the way her girlfriend answered the phone, she was always so professional. She once told her that she needed to get a phone for personal use, and leave the other one for business. Quinn's argument was always the same,  _"Why do I need to carry around two phones, when I can just use one."_  Leave it to Quinn to try and find logic in everything. That was one thing that she loved about Quinn her ability to find logic and use it to the best of her ability.

Quinn stole a quick glance at her girlfriend, "I am so sorry about that babe; business doesn't stop just because I'm out of the office. What were you thinking about?" Quinn asked taking another bite of her sandwich.

Santana smirked, "How beautiful my girlfriend looks right now and how much I want to kiss you." The truth will always set you free.

Quinn leaned in, "I like the way you think Miss. Lopez."

They were about to seal the deal, when they were interrupted by someone clearing their throat. Santana turned her head and noticed that Noelia was standing there surprising both women. Quinn looked at her in annoyance and Santana looked at her in confusion. How did she know that they were going to be here today?

"Noelia, what are you doing here? How did you even know I was here?" Santana asked she never mentioned it to Noelia at least she didn’t think she did.

Noelia looked down at her shoe and then back at Santana she was feeling a little uncertain being there. Especially since Quinn was giving her a look that could make heads explode if she tried hard enough.

Noelia exhaled slowly trying to still her beating heart, "I-I came to tell you something. I can't hold it in any longer; if I do it might be too late." She replied in a hurry.

Santana quirked an eyebrow, "I'm a little busy here; I am trying to have lunch with Quinn. Can this wait until some other time?"

Noelia shook her head, "I have to tell you now. I am in love with you Santana Lopez. I have been in love with you since the first time I met you. I tried to deny the feelings that I felt for you, but after spending a lot of time with you and hanging out, the feelings intensified tenfold. You're all I think about and I can't go a day without talking to you. I didn't want to say anything, because I didn't want to ruin our friendship, but I don't care anymore. I love you Santana and I want you to be my girl." She finally had a chance to breathe.

Quinn gasped in shock she was not expecting this at all. Santana looked over at Quinn who looked back at her with an  _"I told you so"_  look. For the second time she realized that Quinn was right about Noelia all along. She looked back at Noelia and saw that she had tears in her eyes; she knew what she had to do. Santana didn't want to break the girl's heart, but she just didn't see her that way.

Santana inhaled softly, "Noelia, I am flattered you feel that way for me, you’re a great person and I appreciate your friendship, but I don't see you in that way. You're a great friend and I don't want to lose our friendship over this." That’s the most she could say she was still trying to process everything but her main concern was Quinn.

Noelia wiped her eyes, "It’s the person you’re dating isn’t it?” She knew the answer to that question already but she needed to know who.

"Yes, she has been a part of my life for a long time and I love her and I'm in love with her." Santana looked at Quinn and then back at Noelia.

Realization dawned on the other girls face, "Quinn?! How can you be in love with her? She's old enough to be your sister?! I knew that you had feelings for her, but not like that. She's old and gross!" She didn’t mean that but she was hurt.

Quinn watched the whole scene unfold in front of her; she couldn't help but think about what Noelia had said about Quinn being older than Santana was gross. She couldn't help but think if that was how Santana's parents saw it or any of Santana's friends for that matter? To Quinn age wasn't anything but a number, but when looking at Noelia and then Santana she realized just how young they really were. She watched as Santana got up from the blanket and she could tell the girl was livid. This was a side of Santana she has never seen before, sure she heard about it from Rachel, Kurt and even Brittany but seeing it first hand was different.

Santana got dangerously close to Noelia, "First of all don't you EVER refer to Quinn as old and our relationship as gross or I will go all Lima Heights on your ass. Secondly, you will apologize to Quinn for disrespecting her and ruining our day together. I'm sorry that you didn't get the answer that you wanted, but you knew that my heart was taken and that I had feelings for someone else. You couldn't respect that? You decided to come here and make a fool out of yourself? I don't feel that way for you; I never have and never will. Quinn is it for me, and there is no way I'm going to give her up."

Noelia didn't back down, "You know what? Fuck you Santana; you may have fun with your little May-December romance but what's going to happen when you graduate? Or better yet when you want to have children? By the time that happens she'll be old enough to be their grandmother." She knew it was a low blow but she had to make Santana see that she was the better option.

Santana brought her hand up and slapped the hell out of Noelia causing her to grab her cheek and Quinn to gasp in shock. Santana didn't care if people were watching them she wasn't going to stand here and let someone disrespect her and Quinn like that.

Quinn got up and stood behind her girlfriend, "Santana we have people looking at us. She is not worth getting a ticket for or better yet jail." Quinn told her soothingly, rubbing her back. “Listen, emotions are running high right now, but this is not the time or place for this situation. Noelia I understand that you are upset because you expressed your feelings to Santana. I also understand that it is a blow to your ego and what it’s like to have unrequited love. Attacking the relationship that Santana and I have only shows how immature you really are. She’s mine angel and there is no way you will ever take her away from me.”

Santana didn't know when Quinn had stood up but she relaxed under her girlfriends touch. She was seeing red and was full of rage. Noelia was lucky that they were in public or she would have been going down Lima Heights Adjacent style.

Noelia stood there shocked she didn’t expect this to happen the way that it did. Melissa had told her that it would work out in her favor. The only thing it did was cause her to have a broken heart and feeling stupid for opening up to Santana about her feelings. She knew that Santana would never feel that way about her and she had an idea about Santana and Quinn this made everything hurt so much more.

Noelia tried to hide her tears, “I…I’m sorry Santana but I can’t help how I feel.” She turned and looked at Quinn, “I’m not sorry for telling her how I feel. I know I am a better choice than you will ever be. You better enjoy your time with her now because I guarantee I’m not the only one gunning for your precious Santana.” She let that last part hang in the air.

Santana had enough, "If you know what's best for you I would leave now Noelia or I will make every time we have class or study group together a living hell. I don’t know what fantasy world you are living in but this is reality. Quinn is two things that you will ever be which is _Mine_ and flawless." She gave the girl in front of her a devious smirk. Santana didn’t want to hurt Noelia but she couldn’t let her disrespect what she has with Quinn.

Quinn and Santana watched as Noelle ran out of the park leaving the two of them alone. Neither one said a word but they knew that their perfect day was now ruined. All because of Noelia and her need to tell Santana how she really felt. Santana looked over at Quinn who couldn't even look her in the eye.

Quinn cleared her throat, "I think we should finish the rest of our day at home. I don't want to draw any more attention to ourselves."

Santana just nodded her head in agreement not trusting herself to talk. She didn't know how today went to hell so fast. She couldn't help but think about all the things Noelle said about kids and a future. Did Quinn want that with her? Would she be able to have that with her? Once everything was picked up they left the park neither one saying a word as they left.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

The duo entered their apartment without saying anything to each other. Quinn went into the kitchen to put their picnic stuff away while Santana went and put the blanket in the laundry room. She was wondering what was on Quinn's mind she didn't know if the woman was having second thoughts about their relationship or not. Once she left the laundry room she went into the room, not the room that she and Quinn had been sharing but the room that was just hers. A part of her didn't want to deal with what was going to happen next. Santana didn't understand what would possess Noelia to tell her how she felt and in front of Quinn no doubt. Everything was fine until that girl had to open her mouth. If Quinn started having second thoughts about their relationship it would kill her. Pushing those thoughts aside she grabbed the remote and turned on The Real Housewives of Atlanta, she loved NeNe Leakes, she was her favorite housewife.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Quinn watched from the kitchen as Santana went into her room, it hurt her heart to see the girl do that, but she figured that Santana needed a moment to herself. She knew that she needed one; she couldn't believe that Noelia would go through all that trouble just to tell Santana how she felt. She couldn't help but wonder if that was how Santana felt at one point in time before she came to a realization about wanting to be with her. She never thought to ask Santana what she wanted in her future or if she had wanted kids? Quinn always assumed they would cross that bridge when they got there but Noelia put it out there and now it won't leave her alone. She walked into her room and lay down on the bed it was hard for her to think since Santana's scent was surrounding her. Quinn closed her eyes, but opened them when she heard her phone ringing in her pocket. Without looking at the phone she picked it up.

"Hello?" She answered trying to sound happy.

"Hey Quinn are you busy?" Amber's voice floated through the line.

Quinn perked up a little bit; she never needed her best friend more than she needed her now. If no one else would understand she knew that Amber would, after all she was the one who made her realize about Santana. Her second choice would have been Melissa, but with the way she has been acting, that wouldn’t be a very smart idea.

Quinn smiled, "No, just lying down. What's up stranger?" She tried her best to be upbeat.

Amber rolled her eyes at her friend’s comment, "Why do I have to be a stranger? The phone works both ways you know. Anyways, I was calling to check up on you and see how things were going with Santana." She really didn’t have time to properly catch up with Quinn, especially, with her planning her wedding.

She sighed at the mention of Santana, "Things are as good as could be expected, but today was a major snag."

Amber got comfortable, "Why do you say that? Tell Auntie Amber all about it." She wondered what was going on between the two of them.

Quinn sighed dejectedly, "Remember that girl Noelia I was telling you about?" She started her tale.

"Is she the girl that has a massive crush on Santana?" She asked her friend.

Quinn rubbed the bridge of her nose, "That would be her. To make a long story short she confessed her love for Santana while we were having a picnic in the park. Santana said something to her and then the bitch mentioned how old and gross it was that Santana and I are together. She started going on about Santana and what happens after she graduates and if she wanted to have kids? To top it all off she said that if we did have kids I would be old enough to be their grandmother." Quinn relayed the conversation back to her friend.

Amber felt bad for her friend she didn't know what to say. She knew eventually that this would come up somehow, but she didn't think it would come up now. Amber knew that they were happy together she could hear it in her friend's voice every time they talked.

The other woman didn’t know what Quinn was expecting, "She was hurt at being rejected and said things that she probably didn't mean. That happens when the one you have a crush on rejects you. Did you not learn anything from Santana? You saw how she treated you when you came back to Lima. Noelia was hurt so she took it out on you because in her eyes, you're the reason why Santana doesn't want her."

Quinn knew her friend made a lot of sense, "I know but that still doesn't make me feel better. I never stopped to think about what Santana wanted in her future? You know beyond college and if she wanted to have kids or not. I am living in the moment. She could change her mind at any time; she's still young and has her whole life ahead of her." The woman replied, not feeling any better.

Amber shook her head her friend was truly a blonde, "What's stopping you from asking her now? Ask her what she wants from her future and go from there. I may not know Santana as intimately as you do, but I know for a fact that she loves you more than you know. I've seen the pictures of you two that are posted on Facebook; the girl is absolutely in love with you and you her. It's sickening the way she looks at you, like you're the only person in the world that she wants."

Quinn knew that Amber was joking about them being sickening, she's been saying it since Santana was little. It was funny how everyone else could see it except for her and it seems like she still can't see it.

"Nothing is stopping me. I'm just afraid of what she would say you know? I love her and I am in love with her very much so, but what if this isn't enough for her? I don't think I could take the heartbreak." She told her friend honestly.

Amber sighed in frustrations, "Just talk to her, you would be surprised. From what I hear from Rachel, Santana is a girl who knows what she wants. Like I said talk to her, she's an adult, and I am sure she will understand. Now stop over thinking things and talk to your girl and call me later so I can tell you all about the new guy your mom is dating."

Quinn shot up, "New guy?!"

"Bye." Amber hung up the phone before Quinn could say anything else. She threw her phone on the bed and got up, she was going to talk to Santana if it was the last thing that she did. Quinn walked out of the room and to Santana's room ready to talk, but she stopped when she was the girl laying on the bed sleep cuddling her bear. She couldn't help but smile at how small she looked. It reminded her of when Santana was nine and she had the flu, her parents told her that she couldn't go ice skating.

_~Flashback~_

_Quinn walked into Santana's room and saw Santana lying on her bed hugging Sir Snow Paw. She could hear the little sniffles coming from the girl. She climbed on the bed next to her and wrapped her in her arms._

" _All I wanted to do was go ice skating with Mercedes and her sister. I hate being sick." Santana whined._

_Quinn tried not to laugh, "Munchkin, you know that you can't go ice skating with a fever of 103. You would be in the hospital with pneumonia and that's even worse than being in bed for a few days with the flu."_

_Santana rolled her eyes,"I'll take my chances." She challenged, even at nine she was stubborn._

_Quinn had an idea, "I tell you what, how about you and I go ice skating when you're feeling better. You can bring Mercedes and Kurt if you want."_

_Santana turned and looked at Quinn her eyes still puffy from crying, "Really?!"_

_Quinn nodded and tapped her nose, "Really, but only if you take your medicine and listen to your mommy and daddy."_

" _I can do that." She gave a half smile._

" _Good. Now let's find something good to watch on T.V. If you're feeling up to it maybe we can play a game or two. Sounds good?"_

_Santana grinned, "Sounds good. I love you Quinnie."_

" _I love you too munchkin."_

_~End of Flashback~_

Quinn tiptoed further into the room and climbed behind the sleeping girl praying that she didn't wake her from her sleep. She spooned Santana from behind and lightly brushed her hair behind her ear before wrapping her arm protectively around her.

"I love you Santana, so very much." She whispered in her ear, before letting sleep claim her.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damn it Noelia!!!


	31. Santana and Quinn Have Enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The title says it all!!!

Santana woke up from her nap and tried to get up but she felt the weight of Quinn’s arm holding her down. She shifted a little to see Quinn peacefully sleeping, with strands of blonde hair falling into her face. Santana thought she looked like an angel lying next to her, she moved carefully as to not wake her up, to move the loose strands of hair out of her face. She took a minute to replay what happened at the park today with her and Noelia. Santana should have known that Noelia had more than a crush on her, the signs were there, Rachel, Quinn and Kurt tried to tell her but she didn’t want to listen. Santana knew that there was truth to the saying, sometimes you are blind to what is going on around you. She was confused though why did Noelia decide to tell her about her feelings now? She had plenty of time before it was weird. Don’t get her wrong she cared about Noelia a great deal, she became a really good friend, and she fit nicely in her world. They laughed and had a good time together and yes she noticed that Noelia is smoking hot, but she only has eyes for Quinn. It sucked that she possibly lost a friend in Noelia but honestly it was for the best.

Santana knew that eventually she and Quinn would have to talk she really hoped that the situation with Noelia wouldn’t change anything between the two of them. Everything has been going so well for them the last thing she wanted was for someone to destroy what they have spent time building up. Santana shook her head of the negative thoughts that she had, the last thing she wanted to do was to make matters worse. She placed a butterfly kiss on Quinn’s nose and maneuvered herself out of bed and decided to fix her and her girlfriend some dinner. Santana gave one more look to Quinn sleeping on the bed and made her way to the kitchen her heart feeling a little heavy.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Quinn woke up and noticed that she was alone in Santana’s room she rolled over on her back and looked up at the ceiling. The sun was setting on the horizon bathing Santana’s room in oranges and pinks it seemed quite romantic in her mind. Quinn thought about the last time she slept in Santana’s room, it was the first night she had moved in, and they made love for the very first time. She remembered it as if it was yesterday; they were both so overcome by their emotions, that they couldn’t contain themselves.

_~Flashback~_

_Quinn watched as Santana got situated in her room she couldn’t believe that Santana was here with her in New York. She tried to contain her excitement but it was next to impossible, the girl strike that, the woman that she loved more than anything was in her apartment. They were able to act like a couple without any objections from their parents, or prying eyes. They didn’t have to steal kisses, touches, or glances Santana was here and everything was perfection._

_“Are you sure you don’t need any help babe?” Quinn asked in a low voice._

_Santana turned and looked at the woman speaking to her, “I’m all done. I didn’t have a lot to unpack; besides everything else is at the apartment, with Kurt and Rachel.” She made her way over to her girlfriend._

_Quinn met her halfway and wrapped her arms around her, “Good there is nothing stopping me from doing this.” She leaned in and kissed Santana passionately she waited an hour or so to do it again._

_Santana returned the kiss eagerly it had been too long since she last kissed her girl. It was hot and a little sloppy but she didn’t care her body was on fire and the only one who could put it out was Quinn. They continued kissing for what seemed like eternity as Santana felt the back of her knees touch the bed, and Quinn used her strength to push Santana down on the bed. Santana for her part let out a soft grunt as her body hit the bed. She didn’t let that stop her though from allowing her hands to roam all over Quinn’s body as they continued to kiss their tongues battling for dominance._

_Quinn broke the kiss and whispered to Santana, “Clothes off now, I’ve been waiting all day to touch you, to feel you, and to have you writhe underneath me in pleasure.” She playfully nipped at Santana’s lip._

_Santana wasted no time with taking her clothes off especially with Quinn helping her strip in between heated kisses. Between kisses and touches they managed to get their clothes off and Quinn pushed Santana down on the bed and straddled her hips. Quinn looked down at the girl underneath her and saw the love shining through her eyes. One thing she learned about Santana was despite her actions and her words saying one thing, her eyes will always tell the truth. She leaned in and kissed her again allowing all of her pent up feelings come forth. This was their first time together and she wanted to make it totally worth it._

_Quinn moaned into the kiss as she felt Santana’s tongue battle her tongue for dominance, she was turned on beyond the telling of it, how could this one girl strike that woman have such an effect on her. She didn’t question anymore and just went with the flow. Their hands were all over each other’s bodies as if they were never going to have a moment like this. Quinn broke the kiss and moved her head so that her lips were close to Santana’s ear and she whispered, “I want to taste you. I want you to come all over my tongue and my fingers. Your parents aren’t here it’s just me and you, I want to make you lose control, I want to lose control with you.” She felt Santana shiver under her in anticipation and looked into her eyes again that were half opened but she could still see the desire in them._

_“Will you be mine Santana? Tell me that you will be mine.” Her voice sultry and low Quinn knew that Santana would be hers._

_Santana licked her lips before answering, “I am yours Quinn. I have been yours since I can remember, but you will also, be mine too.” She leaned in and captured the older woman’s lips and no more words was needed._

_They had spent the night exploring each other, whispering words of love, making promises of forever. It was one of the best nights of their life. It was the first time together; it was beautiful, passionate and most importantly full of love. They drifted off to sleep wrapped up in each other’s arms ready to take on the world._

_~End Flashback~_

Quinn heard Santana moving around in the kitchen and got out of the bed and made her way to where her girlfriend was. She tried to be quiet as the intense smell of chicken marsala permeated her senses. Quinn loved it when Santana cooked it reminded her a lot of Maribel’s and abuela’s cooking she needed to thank them personally for teaching her how to cook. She sat down at one of the barstools and watched silently as Santana moved around the kitchen.

“Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Why don’t you go set the table so we can eat?” Santana never looked up but she knew Quinn was with her.

Quinn got up and made her way into the kitchen, “How did you know I was in here? I was trying to be quiet.” She grabbed the plates out of the cabinet and placed them on the counter before she went to the drawer and pulled out the silverware.

Santana turned and gave her a smile, “I don’t need to hear you when I can sense you. I may not know where you are at all times but I know when you are near. Now get out of my kitchen before I ends you.”

Quinn didn’t have to be told twice as she made her way out of the kitchen and set the table. Relief washed over her at Santana’s playful tone she was scared that the person before her would still be a little upset after today. Quinn knew that they needed to talk but she wasn’t going to push she was going to let Santana come to her; even though, she knew that this was a conversation she didn’t want to have.

“The table is all set babe, all that’s missing is, you.” She told her girlfriend as she sat down at the table.

Santana came out of the kitchen with a bowl full of pasta and a salad and placed them on the table, “Well miss me no more because the queen has arrived.” She placed the bowls on the table and took a seat across from Quinn.

They were about to eat when they were interrupted by the doorbell. The two women exchanged a look they weren’t expecting any company tonight. Quinn got up before Santana could and went to answer the door. She opened the door and came face to face with Melissa with a bottle of wine in hand and a smile on her face.

To say Quinn was surprised was an understatement, “Melissa? What the hell are you doing here with wine no less?”

The smile never left her face, “I thought I would surprise you for an impromptu girls night out. I figured that Santana might be out with her little friend and I thought we could spend a little time together.”

Before Quinn could answer Santana’s voice came around the corner, “Babe who is at the door?”

Melissa’s smile fell Santana was not supposed to be there she was supposed to be with her little friends. This was not working out in her favor at all the heavens must have it out for her in the worst way.

Quinn called back, “Its Melissa she wanted to have a girl’s night tonight.” She called back never letting Melissa in the house.

Santana appeared behind Quinn, “What the hell are you doing here? Don’t you have anything else better to do with your night? We were about to sit down for dinner and it doesn’t include you.”

Melissa’s eyes hardened, “I wanted to have a girl’s night with Quinn. I wasn’t expecting you to be here, I thought you were going to be out with your little friend. By the way how is Noelia?” Her voice was dripping with false concern.

Santana gave her a glare, “Looks like you chose a wrong time for a girl’s night because tonight is our night and you,” she looked Melissa up and down, “Are definitely not on the menu. As far as Noelia goes it’s none of your business.”

Melissa didn’t back down, “Believe me, Noelia is my business especially, if she poses a threat to Quinn. Given the way that she feels about you, it would break poor Quinn’s heart to know that her girlfriend’s best friend is lusting after her.” She wasn’t about to let some little girl get to her.

The wheels in Quinn’s head started turning as the pieces of the puzzle finally came together. Melissa set the whole thing up, even though she didn’t care too much for Noelia, she knew her well enough that the girl wouldn’t go off halfcocked unless she was provoked.

Quinn finally found her voice, “You manipulative little bitch!” Her usual hazel eyes were now a dark color, “You put Noelia up to her little stunt in the park today.”

Santana looked at Quinn, “What the actual fuck?!”

Melissa tried to appear shocked, “Where would you ever get that idea from? I have better things to do then meddle in the lives of little girls. I am hurt that you would think such a thing.”

The psychologist in Quinn knew Melissa was full of shit right now, “Cut the bullshit bitch. I may not care too much for Noelia but I know she wouldn’t go after Santana like that unless she was provoked. What’s the matter? You’re so jealous and upset that someone younger than you got something that you wanted the most?” The Queen Bitch in Quinn was dying to be let out and now is the chance.

Santana wanted to say something but Quinn held up her hand effectively silencing her. This was her battle and she really didn’t need anyone to help her fight it. As long as Santana was by her side that gave her all the strength she needed and more.

“At first I thought you were jealous of me for being with Santana but then things you would say and the things that you would do, made me think otherwise. You thought you had a chance with me when I specifically told you that I was not interested in you and that Santana has my heart and I have hers. You had to manipulate a young woman because you couldn’t handle being rejected not once, not twice, but three times by the one thing you wanted the most. That doesn’t make you a woman that makes you pathetic.”

Melissa wasn’t about to go down without a fight, “Oh sweet delusional Quinn, it’s funny how you attach yourself to Santana, don’t you know that girl’s like her will always find someone younger and hotter to satisfy her needs. You’re scared to love a real woman so you waste your time with a little play thing. I’m pretty sure her parents would flip the fuck out, if they found out, their sweet, trustworthy and loving daughter was fucking their little girl five ways from Sunday.” She took her eyes off Quinn and looked Santana in the face, “Tell me Santana, do you still have parents or maybe your abuela? I’m pretty sure they disowned you when they found out that you have been lusting after your babysitter.”

Santana saw red, “You bitch! What the fuck is wrong with you?! You go around fucking up people’s lives because you don’t get what you want? Were you that desperate for Quinn that you had to try and manipulate everything around you? Whatever this obsession with my girlfriend needs to end, get the fuck over it. It’s me that she wants, not you. It’s me that she sleeps with every night, not you. And it’s me that brings a smile to her face not you. It’s me who hopes to marry her one day and have a family with her, not you.” Santana got close enough to Melissa that the woman could feel the breath on her face no one fucks with Santana Lopez.

Santana continued, “Stay the fuck away from my family, stay the fuck away from my friends and most importantly stay the fuck away from Quinn. She is mine bitch, my name is written all over her body. I got something that you will never have. Oh and stay the hell away from my parents and my family, I know the law and honey, I can bring charges of harassment and stalking against you so fast you won’t even know what hit you.”

Quinn was at a loss for words as she watched the scene play out in front of her. Santana wanted to marry her, she wanted to have a family with her, and she wanted to be with her. Sure it wasn’t the ideal way to find out but her heart swelled with love as she heard Santana speak those words.

Melissa backed away and looked from Santana to Quinn, “She may be content with everything that she says now. Mark my words when I tell you she is only going to break your heart. Don’t come running to me crying when she does because I won’t be there to pick up the pieces.” She had to try one more time.

Quinn could do nothing to hide the smirk on her face, “Jealousy never looked good on you. I see you for who you really are a bitter bitch who is all alone and will go after anyone that would show you a little bit of attention. It’s quite pathetic if you ask me you have to resort to another manipulation tactic to try and get what you want. I think it’s time that you have grown up and quit playing games and you need to remember you may be the game player but baby I’m the coach. Now you heard my girlfriend get the fuck out of my building and make sure a house doesn’t fall out of the sky and kill you.”

Santana smirked, “Good riddance Wicked Bitch of the West.” She closed the door in Melissa’s face and leaned up against the door never taking her eyes off Quinn. The air was thick with tension so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Quinn licked her lips, “I’m sorry about Melissa. I had no idea that she could be such a bitch. I should have listened to you.”

Santana didn’t say anything as she made her way over to her girlfriend closing the distance between them. She leaned in and captured Quinn’s lips in a sensual kiss words couldn’t express all the emotions going through her. They knew that they still had to talk about the future and what all of this means for them, but right now they needed to find comfort in each other.                                                                                                                        

 

 


	32. Santana and Quinn Have a Talk

Santana was the first one to break the kiss her forehead resting against Quinn’s. This was not how she expected to start the night all she wanted to do was to enjoy a quiet dinner with her girlfriend, talk and spend the rest of the night cuddling. Now is seemed as if they will have dinner with a lot of talking which hopefully would lead to cuddling. She had told Quinn over and over again that Melissa was fifty shades of crazy and wanted her. Quinn being stubborn didn’t want to see it and now she truly knows what that bitch is truly capable of. The silence in the room was deafening it’s as if no one could find the words but Santana knew that they needed to talk.

Santana cleared her throat, “I…I am so sorry Quinn. I know you think Melissa was a good friend but babe I tried to tell you. I guess that means we’re even.” Santana regretted her words as soon as she saw her girlfriend stiffen.

Quinn looked at Santana with sad eyes, “Can we not talk about Melissa right now? I want to eat dinner with my girlfriend and have a normal conversation. Today has been emotionally charged I may need a bottle of wine or two possibly three.” She chuckled softly.

Santana understood and didn’t press, “I think dinner is still salvageable. If not we can always order Chinese or Thai the choice is yours.” She gave a slight shrug of her shoulders.

Quinn couldn’t help but smile at how adorable Santana was being right now. The slight shrug of her shoulders reminded her of when the girl was younger and she was trying to get out of trouble, “You cooked all this food we can warm it up and we can finish the rest of our night.” She reached for her girlfriends hand and led her to the dining room.

The two women sat down at the table luckily the food was still hot despite their showdown with Melissa only twenty minutes ago. Santana took Quinn’s plate and put some pasta on it along with a breadstick and handed it to her. Quinn took the plate and put it down in front of her. She used this time to pour the wine into their glasses. Once Santana had fixed her plate they began eating enjoying their food neither woman knew what to say or even know where to begin. Quinn decided to take the lead on the conversation.

Quinn put her fork down and looked at her companion, “I’m really sorry about tonight. I didn’t expect Melissa to show up tonight and I didn’t know that she was a conniving little bitch. I should have listened to you. I should have listened to my intuition as well. I honestly hope that this will not change anything between us.” She exhaled slightly after her mini speech.

Santana looked at Quinn, “You have nothing to apologize for, you didn’t know, Melissa was going to make an appearance. I’m upset at the fact that she manipulated everyone around her. I am upset that Noelia was mixed up in all of this. It’s a fucked up situation all around. Why can’t we be happy?” She took a sip of her wine.

Quinn put her hand over Santana’s and gave it a small squeeze, “We can be happy. No one else matters except for our close friends and family they are happy about us that is all we need to focus on. We still have to tell abuelita though before she finds out from someone else.” She didn’t want to bring up the Lopez matriarch but she knows that she would be the hardest to tell.

Santana knew that her girlfriend had a point they needed to tell her abuelita and soon, having to tell her grandmother is one talk that she did not look forward to having but she knew that it was important. She decided not to think about that and focus on her and Quinn right now.

“I know maybe we can have this conversation when we go home for Thanksgiving. She isn’t going to be happy with us but I don’t want to lie or hide our relationship.” Santana turned her full attention to Quinn, “I know we haven’t talked much about the future with everything that’s been happening but I was wondering if you see yourself with me in the future?”

Quinn took both of Santana’s hands in hers and looked at her, “Santana, you are the only one I see in my future. I was so afraid that you would you wouldn’t see me in yours.” Quinn held up her hand keeping the girl from talking, “You are still young and you have your whole life ahead of you. You never dated anyone else and I’m not going to stay this good looking forever.” She joked.

Santana looked at her intently, “When I look into the future all I see is you. I don’t want anyone else. You have people who always say when they met the one that they were with, they just knew. That is how I feel about you. You forget that I had a massive crush on you when I was younger, I probably loved you then too, but I didn’t know exactly what kind of love at the time. With you Quinn I just know in my heart of hearts and in my soul.” She really hoped that Quinn understood.

Quinn tried to keep the tears from falling but was unsuccessful as the tears started falling, “You don’t know how much I love you Santana. I don’t want to be without you, when you were younger, watching you was the highlight of my day. You loved me unconditionally. I should have seen the signs when you were younger.” She used her hand to wipe her tears, “You never liked anyone I dated. You were a possessive little thing.”

Santana laughed, “You were _my_ Quinnie I couldn’t let anyone have you. You should be happy I shared you with Mama Judy and that’s because she gave birth to you.” Santana leaned in and gave Quinn a little peck on the lips, “I don’t know about you but I’m not hungry anymore. Why don’t we clean this up find something good to watch on Netflix?” She suggested.

Quinn gave her a smile, “I like that.” She got up from the table and collected their plates, “Come on you let’s get this finished, I want my Santana cuddles.”

Santana got up from the table grabbing the rest of the dishes following Quinn into the kitchen. They cleaned up the kitchen in relative silence each of them concentrating on their own personal task.

Santana broke the silence by singing, “If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends. Make it last forever friendship never ends.”

Quinn started laughing and singing along, “If you wanna be my lover, you have got to give. Taking is too easy but that’s the way it is.” She continued along remembering the time Santana was taking a bath and using her dolls to sing the song.

Santana laughed, “Remember the night you came to baby sit me and I was in the bathtub singing that song? You started singing and scared me. I wasn’t expecting you to come upstairs yet.”

Quinn smiled at the memory, “You were so adorable singing with your dolls, so innocent and carefree. I’m surprised you remember that.” She said after a beat.

Santana walked over to Quinn, “I remember everything that involves you. Some of my best memories involve you. Even the one of you stepping on the plane and leaving for college, that was the day everything changed for me, it took me a while to get over that.”

Quinn grabbed Santana by the waist, “That was the hardest day of my life, seeing you crying, running after me. My heart broke into a thousand pieces that day I felt like I was losing a piece of my heart. I had Sir Snow Paw though. You used to carry him everywhere you went he was your protector.” She joked.

“Hey! Sir Snow Paw was awesome! I won him all on my own even if Sam gave me the money to play the game. Whatever happened to him anyways?” Santana asked taking Quinn’s hand and leading her to the living room.

Quinn followed behind the girl, “Sam got married to some girl and they have two kids. That’s all I know.” She answered it’s been a long time since she talked to Sam.

They flopped down on the couch and Quinn immediately took Santana into her arms causing the younger woman to squeal lightly. She would never get tired of having Santana in her arms it felt like home. Santana used this time to get comfortable with the remote control.

“I was so jealous of him. I hated him with a fiery passion but you liked him so I decided to dislike him in silence. I wanted to rip those gigantic lips off of his face.” She laughed, she despised him.

Quinn chuckled, “You were a little devil. Mom and dad were correct in naming you Santana or should I say Santana Geneviève Lopez.” She knew how much Santana hated her middle name.

Santana wouldn’t let her get away with that, “Really, Lucy Quinn Fabray?” She found out Quinn’s real name from Mama Judy.

Quinn glared at Santana, “How do you know that? I haven’t gone by Lucy since I was a little girl.” She questioned her girlfriend.

Santana shrugged her shoulders, “I have my ways besides I will never give up my sources. If I tell you then I will have to kill you.” She teased.

The older woman kissed the top of Santana’s head, “Let’s watch Once Upon a Time. I need to catch up on it. I am so behind.” She suggested.

Santana turned and faced Quinn, “Once Upon a Time? Seriously?! Isn’t that the show about fairy tales?” She crinkled her nose in disgust even though she secretly loved that show she has a huge crush on Emma.

Quinn rolled her eyes, “There is also an underlying love story there as well between Emma and Regina. The women are strong and Regina is beautiful. Dark hair, dark eyes, Latina, swag and sassiness for days, she reminds me of you.” She couldn’t believe how much The Evil Queen reminded her of Santana both sassy and badass but a softy underneath it all. She has a type and there is no shame in it.

The younger woman rolled her eyes and sighed, “We can watch Once Upon a Time. I can’t believe you are a Swan Queen shipper.” She slipped up on the last part.

“How did you even know that they were a ship? You like Once don’t you?” She asked.

Santana shrugged, “I plead the fifth. Let’s watch the show before I change my mind and make you watch Buffy.”

The debate was over once the show started playing on the screen. They snuggled and watched as Regina and Emma were at the mine trying to save Henry. Even though the night started out in a disaster, this was the best part of the night for the both of them, in each other’s arms and watching television. They know that they have a lot more to face in the upcoming weeks, months and years ahead but they were content being in the moment.

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I had to throw in a SQ reference, sorry not sorry. Quinntana is my OTP and SQ is the sister ship


	33. Santana and Quinn Go Home

_3 Months Later_

Quinn and Santana were sitting in LaGuardia Airport preparing to board the plan for Lima and they both were nervous, each for different reasons. Santana was afraid of how her abuela would react when she told her about her and Quinn. She knew that her parents, Quinn, and mama Judy would be there but they may not even save her from the wrath of her abuela. She was set in her ways and a devout Catholic and hated gays and lesbians, Santana prayed, that her abuela didn’t hate her or disown her. She doesn’t think that she would be able to take rejection from the woman she looked up to. They overcame Melissa, Noelia, and everything else life threw at them, but this was the biggest challenge yet.

Quinn had her reason to be nervous as well, this is the first time she would be seeing her mother, since her relationship began with Santana. Her mother knows about their relationship but she hasn’t seen it up close like mama and daddy Lopez has. This isn’t the type of relationship her mother wanted for her but Quinn learned that you can’t fight fate no matter how hard you try. She couldn’t be happier though because she has the woman she loves by her side and she knows the two of them together are unstoppable. Quinn mentally shook her head at how clichéd that was but she was telling the truth they were unstoppable, a blonde and a brunette an unbreakable bond.

Santana laid her head on Quinn’s shoulder, “Where were you just now? I asked you a question and you didn’t answer.” She didn’t bother looking at her companion.

Quinn kissed the top of her head, “Sorry, I was thinking about seeing everyone again, especially mom. This is her first time truly seeing us together and then there is abuelita too. I know how important she is to you and me.” She told her honestly they decided not to hold anything back.

Santana sighed heavily, “Mom will be cool with it she will see how happy we are and hopefully mom and dad talked to her about us. I’m more worried about abuelita you know how she feels about same sex couples but I am not going to let her opinions and thoughts influence us.” She hoped that her abuelita was accepting.

The woman announced over the intercom that their flight was boarding. The couple stood up and made their way over to the podium and waited for their zone to be called so they could board the plane. They walked through the terminal hands still connected as they boarded the plane. Quinn had the window seat while Santana sat on the opposite side in the middle. She wasn’t too thrilled to be sitting next to a child but she had Quinn and her iPhone to keep her from listening to the kid next to her.

The flight from New York to Ohio didn’t take as long as they thought but waiting for a rental car is taking a lot longer than they expected. Quinn had already reserved the car when she made the reservations for their trip, it had even been confirmed, she was not happy about this setback at all, “It doesn’t take this long to get a rental car considering I made the reservation three months ago, when I made the ticket purchases. How much longer is this going to take?” She asked the woman behind the counter.

The woman behind the counter sighed in annoyance, “Look Miss. Fabray, I am going as quickly as I can. I do not see your reservation in our system. I do apologize for the inconvenience that this is causing for you.” She did not have time for this it was almost time for her to get off work.

Santana had enough of this, “Listen here blondie, we have been on a plane with screaming children for almost four hours and now we have to wait because of your inability to find a reservation from three months ago. I honestly think it’s not that hard, look around we are the only one here. Go get your manager or someone who know what they are doing or else I will make the rest of your day a living hell.”

Quinn tried to hide the smirk that was trying to show itself she loved it when her girlfriend got all badass. It took a lot of will power for her not to kiss her right then and there but she realized that they were in Ohio and not New York. Quinn watched as the girl went to find the manager clearly Santana had gotten to her.

A man walked over to the counter Santana assumed that it was the manager, “I am sorry for the delay Miss. Fabray. I was able to pull up your reservation from the back, if you could show me your license; I will be more than happy to get this taken care of for you.” He gave her a small smile.

“Thank you that’s all we asked for.” Quinn responded as she handed the man her license.

After a few minutes of typing on the computer the man handed Quinn her license back and they watched as the car was pulled out to the front for them. Santana grabbed their bags and followed her girlfriend out of the airport and to their waiting car. Once the bags were loaded the two ladies got into the car and Quinn pulled out of the parking lot making their way to Lima.

Santana slid her hand on top of Quinn’s she needed the comfort right now, in an hour or so she will be seeing her parents and her abuela soon. She knew her parents were thrilled about her relationship with Quinn, hell they even called it before she did, but they still loved the both of them just the same. Her abuela on the other hand may see it differently and if the woman she looked up to all of her life disowns her she knows she still has her parent’s and Quinn. That’s all she really needed but it would be better if her abuela was on board.

_~XOXOXOXOXO~_

Quinn grew nervous as she drove past the “Welcome to Lima” sign. This is going to be the first time she has seen her mother since Santana had moved to New York. She knows her mom wants her to be happy and hopefully she will see that she is happy with Santana. This will also be the first time that she and Santana had slept apart in three months; to say she has separation anxiety is an understatement. She knew that she would see her everyday but to be so close and not be able to touch her is a new kind of torture.

Quinn looked over to her girlfriend, “In a few more minutes we will be at Casa Lopez and Casa Fabray. Are you ready to see our family?” She asked curious as to where her girlfriends mind was at.

Santana bit her lip, “I am as ready as I could be. It’s going to be weird not to sleep you with every night. Tell me again why we couldn’t have everyone come to New York?”

Quinn continued looking at her, “Really Santana? We haven’t been home since you’ve been in New York. It’s time that we came for a visit I think our family is worth the struggle.”

Santana laughed, “Thank you Dr. Phil. I know, I was just saying, it would have been easier because hey we would be able to sleep together and not hide our relationship.” She reasoned sure her abuela may have issue with it but that didn’t matter.

Quinn sighed as she drove past the familiar houses until she was parked in front of the Lopez house. This was very much reality for them they stepped out of their New York bubble and stepped into a much smaller pond. Quinn pulled the car off and looked at Santana who had a war of emotions playing on her face.

The older woman leaned over and gave Santana a quick kiss on the cheek, “It’s show time. I am sure our parents are bursting at the seams for us to come in.”

They both hesitated before getting out of the car it shouldn’t be that bad because it’s family and they love each other. Quinn and Santana got out of the car and made their way to the front door of Casa de Lopez. They exchanged looks as Santana reached out to ring the doorbell it was now or never.

Xavier watched from the window as their daughter and their other daughter made their way up the walkway. They have been waiting for this moment since they visited New York during the summer. He opened the door for the couple with a huge smile on his face, “Mija.” Xavier enveloped his daughter in a crushing hug, “I am so happy to see you. I missed you.” He kissed her on the cheek before letting her go.

Santana smiled, “I missed you too papi. It’s been too long.” She pushed Quinn to the forefront, “I’m sure you know Quinn.” She teased her father.

Xavier laughed, “It’s a pleasure to meet you Quinn.” He enveloped her in a big hug and kissed her on the cheek, “It’s been entirely too long.” He broke the hug and ushered the two women in the house.

They were greeted by an overly excited Maribel who gave both of them a hug. She couldn’t believe how long it had been since she has seen her daughters. “I’ve missed you two so much. You two are still as beautiful as ever.” She hugged them again before letting them go.

Quinn smiled at the older Lopez woman, “It’s been too long mama but we are here now.”

Santana looked between her mom and dad clearly excited to be home but someone was missing, “Wh-where is abuelita?” Her grandmother always came to visit a couple of days before Thanksgiving.

Xavier and Maribel exchanged looks before she answered, “Santana honey, why don’t we go sit down in the living room. I’m sure you and Quinn are tired from your flight.”

Santana exchanged a quick glance at each other before they made their way to the living room. There was something about this situation that didn’t sit right with them. Santana’s stomach was churning the last time her parents talked to her like this her uncle had died. She prayed that nothing happened to her abuelita. The couple sat on the couch across from her parents.

“What’s going on? Please tell me nothing happened to abuelita.” She pleaded she didn’t care that she had sounded like a little girl.

Xavier looked at his daughter, “Santana, your abuelita will not be joining us for Thanksgiving this year.” He started trying to get the courage to continue, “Your grandmother found out about you and Quinn being together.”

Santana was crushed at the news she and Quinn were supposed to tell her grandmother about them being in a relationship. “H-how did she find out? You guys promised that you wouldn’t say anything to her.” She didn’t want to accuse her parents of outing her.

Maribel spoke, “She didn’t find out from us baby girl. Someone had sent her pictures of you and Quinn together.” She explained to her daughter.

“Someone sent her pictures? How the hell did they manage to do that?” Quinn asked clearly confused as to who would send pictures.

Xavier looked between his daughter and her girlfriend, “We don’t know. They were sent anonymously.” He didn’t want to go into any more detail he didn’t want to break his daughter’s heart any more than it already has been.

Santana was angry and she knew exactly who was to blame for this, “I am going to kill that bitch! It’s because of her that my grandmother doesn’t want to have anything to do with me or us.”

Quinn squeezed Santana’s hand, “Santana calm down my love. Getting angry isn’t going to change anything. I’m just as pissed off as you are because she had no right.” She was trying to stay calm but it was hard.

Maribel looked confused, “What’s going on here? Who is messing with you?” She asked clearly concerned about her daughters.

Santana calmed down a little, “Quinn’s serial stalker. She has been a thorn in my side since the beginning. When we go back to New York that bitch is going down.” Santana could pride herself in one thing that revenge was her motivator.

Xavier tried his best to calm his daughter, “It will be okay sweetheart, give your grandmother a little time, and she is just as stubborn as you are. She will come around don’t give up on her yet, you are still her Santanita.” He tried to reassure his daughter as much as he possibly could.

Santana tried to keep her composure the thought of her grandmother not being there with them for Thanksgiving is heartbreaking. She just hoped that this was all a nightmare that she could wake up from. She had a feeling that her grandmother would react badly but this is not what she had in mind. Santana was going to kill Melissa when she gets back to New York, if it wasn’t for that little bitch then she wouldn’t be in this situation.

Maribel sympathized with her daughter she knew that she would be distraught about the whole situation but she was happy that it was out in the open now. She hated lying to the older Lopez woman, but she hates that her daughter is broken hearted. Maribel was about to say something when the doorbell rang.

Santana looked at the door, “Who could that be?” She asked.

Maribel looked at Quinn, “Quinn, I think the door is for you.” She pointed at the door.

Quinn looked at Santana then at Maribel in confusion, “Who would be coming over here for me?” She had an idea but she was going to go visit her mom once Santana had gotten settled.

Xavier gave her a smile, “Don’t let them stand outside where it’s cold, go open the door.”

Quinn let go of Santana’s hand and stood up and made her way to the door. Her palms were sweaty and her heart was beating rapidly in her chest. She really hoped that it was her mother on the other side of the door, this is the first time she has seen her mother since Santana’s graduation. Quinn opened the door and came face to face with her mother.

“M-mom?” Quinn ran to her mom and gave her a hug.

Judy returned the hug with tears in her eyes, “Quinnie, my baby girl. I missed you so much.” She whispered in her daughter’s hair. She was so happy to have her daughter home even if it was only a little while.

The Lopez family looked on as mother and daughter reunited. This was going to be the best Thanksgiving ever, even if abuelita was going to be absent.

 

 

 


	34. Santana's Thanksgiving Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is full on smut, I blushed a thousand times while writing this, I also needed a shower after this as well.

Santana woke up in a cocoon of blankets as she heard her parents move around downstairs in the kitchen. The smells wafting through the house also helped her wake up as well; they spent most of the night preparing food for dinner, and catching up with their daughter. Santana found it weird not waking up with her girlfriend beside her but she understood about Judy wanting to spend time with her daughter. Last night was the first night they have spent apart since they started dating each other but the phone sex they had more than made up for it. They were up late pleasuring themselves, with promises of pleasure, this evening after family time. With a sigh Santana got out of bed and went about her morning routine before heading downstairs to help her parents finish up dinner.

Santana made her way downstairs and saw her parents in the kitchen dancing to Salsa as they were prepping the pernil and lasagna to go in the oven. She watched and thought back to the times they would all dance in the kitchen when she was younger. Xavier saw Santana standing there and danced his way over to his daughter holding out his hand, “I know you’re not too old to dance with your papi are you?” He smiled at his daughter.

Santana smiled, “No papi, I will always dance with you.” She put her hand in his and started dancing with him in the kitchen as Maribel looked on. Santana had to admit that she missed times like this and made her long to be a little girl again, minus the whole Quinn leaving for college part.

The song ended and Xavier gave his daughter a kiss on the cheek, “You still got it mija. I have to admit I miss dancing with you.”

Santana smiled, “I miss dancing with you too papi. Do you and mami need any help?”

Maribel smiled, “As a matter of fact my little monkey, you can help make the dessert. I have a cake with your name on it.”

Santana’s eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning, she loved baking, “I get to make the cake? Thank you, mami!” She kissed her mother on the cheek.

The young woman started getting the ingredients she needed to make her cakes. She loved baking it relaxed her and baking was also a great stress reliever as well. There was something about mixing things together that made baking a beautiful experience. While she was putting together her mix her mind wandered to Quinn and what she may be doing right now.

_XOXOXO_

Quinn woke up feeling a little disoriented, it took her a minute to realize that she wasn’t in her room in New York, and she didn’t have Santana in the bed with her this morning. She sat up in bed and ran her fingers through her sleep tousled hair. She picked up her phone and saw that it was almost ten. Quinn fell back on the pillows and let out a frustrated sigh, she was horny as hell and her girlfriend was across the street. Their phone sex session last night gave Quinn release but she wanted more, she wanted to kiss, touch and bring Santana to climax by her hands. She imagined the way Santana’s back would arch and the face the other woman made as she began to come. Quinn moved her hands down her body, caressing her breasts and playing with her nipples, imagining that it was Santana there sucking on them before moving her hands down her stomach, to the apex of her thighs. She could feel the wetness on her underwear as she teased herself through the fabric enjoying the feel of the material against her swollen pussy. Quinn bucked her hips as she continued rubbing her clit in slow circles, applying a little pressure with each stroke. She thought about her lover’s mouth taking her to heights unknown, licking her sex like it was the last meal on earth. Quinn was close to climax until a knock on her door interrupted her. She growled in frustration as she heard her mother’s voice call her name.

Quinn called out, “I’ll be out in just a minute mom. I’m trying to wake up completely.”

She let out another frustrated sigh, her moment was ruined, and now she was officially blue balled thanks to her mother. Quinn knew that she would have to find some time for her and Santana to be alone tonight, to take care of the ache in between her legs. She got out of the bed to prepare for her morning with her mother before heading over to La Casa de Lopez. Despite abuela not being there, she hoped that dinner wouldn’t be too sad. Quinn was fully dressed and made her way downstairs. Quinn walked into the kitchen as her mom was pulling the green bean casserole out of the oven.

“Do you need any help mom?” Quinn asked her mother, she really wanted to help.

Judy smiled at her daughter, “You can transfer the bread to a Tupperware container to take over to Maribel’s. Everything else is pretty much taken care of.”

Quinn went to the cabinet where the Tupperware was kept and pulled out the biggest one that she could find. She placed it on the counter where the bread was located and began transferring the contents to the container, “What time are we going over to The Lopez’s?” Quinn asked as she concentrated on her task.

Judy wiped her forehead before responding, “Dinner is served at 3, but Maribel would like us to come over at around 1, you can head over earlier if you want. I know you are itching to see Santana.” She teased her daughter.

Quinn blushed, “It felt weird not waking up to her this morning, I’m so use to waking up and seeing her in the morning.” At her mother’s look she amended, “but I know that I can see her every day while we’re on vacation.”

Judy chuckled, “Nice save Quinn. How are things with you in New York? I know there was an issue with one of your friends Melanie, Michelle or whatever her name was.”

Quinn rolled her eyes, “Melissa, I set her straight for the most part. She was a crazy bitch, I’m a psychologist I should have seen that Melissa was 50 shades of crazy. Luckily Santana saw it before I did and I am thankful for her. When we get back to New York, she will be taken care of, once and for all.”

Judy didn’t understand why Melissa caused such problems for Quinn and Santana. She should have understood that Quinn was taken and very much in love with Santana. It took Judy a while to come to terms with Santana and Quinn being together but when she sees them together, and the love that they share, she could understand why. If Judy was honest, she wouldn’t want anyone else for Quinn. Santana has been family since she was a little girl, she watched her grow up, to become the strong, independent young woman that she was today. She was proud of Quinn as well, even though Russell was no longer in the picture, her little girl turned out okay. She couldn’t be any more proud of her daughter than she is now.

Judy kissed her daughter’s temple, “I don’t think she will bother you anymore but I want you to be careful though.”

Quinn blushed, “Do you still have your reservations about Santana and I being together? I know you had some issues with us being together.” She turned and faced her mother.

“After seeing you two together yesterday and seeing how much you love each other, I approve. If you were to date anyone I am glad it is Santana. Maribel and I had a feeling that you and Santana would eventually end up together. She has loved you since she was a little girl and she loves you even more now.” She smiled warmly at her daughter before continuing, “You’ve loved Santana for a long time as well, you were highly protective of her and you had her around you, even when you weren’t babysitting. You loved her like a sister when she was younger and now I see you loving her as a woman.” She blushed, hoping that her daughter didn’t take what she said the wrong way.

Quinn chuckled, “There was something about Santana and I always knew she was special. We had the period of time where we didn’t talk to each other but she was never far from my mind. It broke my heart when she shut me out but she healed it when she accepted me back in her life. Our relationship isn’t perfect but we are definitely perfect for each other. I always felt that she would get tired of me because she is at school with people her age but she has proved me wrong at every turn.” She swallowed and chose her next words wisely, “I see myself marrying her.”

Judy hugged her daughter, “Oh Quinn! I am so happy for you. Does Maribel and Xavier know your intentions towards their daughter?”

Quinn returned the hug melting into her mother’s arms, “No they don’t. I am going to tell them before our vacation is over. I’ve been looking at rings already, trying to find the perfect one. I want to propose during Christmas but I don’t want it to seem cliché.” She broke the hug.

“I don’t think it will be cliché, she will love your proposal, no matter how you do it.” Judy reassured her daughter. “Now why don’t you go upstairs and get ready. I know you are dying to spend time with Santana before dinner. Tell Maribel and Xavier I will be over shortly.” She told her daughter’s retreating figure.

Quinn called back, “Don’t I always.” She headed up the stairs.

_XOXOXOXO_

Santana sat at the table with her parents enjoying a small Puerto Rican breakfast of coffee and bread. They didn’t eat a lot in the morning of holidays because they eat more than enough at dinner. Being with her parents almost took her mind off of her abuela not being there. She tried not to think about it and concentrated on her parents and the family she already has.

Maribel sipped her coffee, “How is school going for you mija? You haven’t mentioned anything about your classes.”

Santana shrugged, “School is going great, I am excelling in my classes, and my academic advisor thinks I could possibly graduate early.” She sing songed.

Xavier hugged his daughter, “That is great news Santana! I am so proud of you. Our daughter is going to be a college graduate. Do you know what you are going to do when you’re finished?”

She already had her answer ready, “I’m going to graduate school so I can get my masters in Social Work. I want to work with underprivileged families and what not.”

“We will support you in whatever you do in the future, tu sabes. How are things on the Quinn front? I know you mentioned that a girl named Noelia had a little crush on you.” Maribel asked, she was curious as to what happened with her.

Santana started pulling apart her bread, “She realized that I wasn’t interested and that Quinn and I are the real deal. She had an issue with it, especially since we are years apart in age. Why do people make such a big deal? It wasn’t like Quinn and I are having an illegal relationship, I am a consenting adult.”

Xavier chose this time to speak, “A lot of people have issues with older men or women dating people younger than them. The media glorify May/December relationships but that doesn’t mean people understand. They fear the unknown or why older men and women go for younger men and women. Your mother and I had a feeling that you and Quinn would have ended up together.”

Santana raised an eyebrow, “What do you mean you and mami knew that I would end up with Quinn? I didn’t even know I was going to be with Quinn.” She was completely surprised.

Maribel smirked, “Ay mija, she was your Quinn even when you were younger. You hated her boyfriends and you would always want to be with her, even when she wasn’t babysitting you. The sun rose and set with Quinn and when she left for college, you weren’t the same. I knew then that you loved her. When we came to visit you in New York, I could see how much you two love each other and I saw it last night too. You and Quinn remind me a lot of your father and I.”

Santana rolled her eyes, “Please don’t tell me another story about you and papi. I am still traumatized from previous stories. I really do love Quinn and I want to be with her for as long as she will have me.” She finished with a smile.

Xavier put his hand on his daughters, “As long as you are happy, that’s all that matters. I’m glad that it is Quinn that you are with. She loves you and I believe she always had even when you were younger, but in a different way then.”

Santana smiled, “I am glad you said that papi, I had a feeling we were heading into weird territory. I’m going to go upstairs and get ready for the day.” She stood up from the table and put her coffee mug in the sink before exiting the kitchen.

She made a dash up the stairs and to her room hoping that Quinn would come over a little bit earlier. Santana turned on the radio in her room and started dancing to ‘Blank Space’ by Taylor Swift. She laughed at how much she hated Taylor Swift in the beginning but now she loved her. She guessed it was because she changed her style of music and the fact that Quinn loved her. Santana had to admit that Quinn was influencing her in a lot of ways and she could care less. She grabbed her towel and made her way to the bathroom to shower and change clothes. Santana stepped in the shower and allowed the warm water to hit her skin. The shower isn’t the same because Quinn was missing. They showered together every morning but sometimes their showers ended up with them fucking in the shower, those showers were the best. She shook her head of those thoughts there was no way she was going to get off in the shower, not right now anyways. Santana hoped that Quinn would come over early so they could have some alone time together.

Santana exited the shower and made her way into her room and closed the door behind her. She didn’t realize that there was someone in her room waiting for her as she allowed her towel to fall too her feet.

Quinn cleared her throat, “Damn, if I knew you were going to be naked for me, I would have dressed for the occasion.” She teased her girlfriend.

Santana turned and saw Quinn laying on her bed, “I didn’t even know you were coming over so soon. I kind of hoped you did.” She made her way over to the bed and crawled up the other woman’s body.

Quinn licked her lips, “The things I can do to you right now. Our little phone sex session last night really made me horny. It took all of my self-control to not come over here last night and fuck you.” She trailed her fingers lightly up and down Santana’s spine, leaving goose bumps in their wake.

Santana shivered at the low timber of Quinn’s voice or what Santana would call her sex voice, “Did you get off on me coming for you and crying out your name Quinnie?” She brought her lips to the other woman’s ear, “I bet you’re wet for me right now aren’t you?” Santana ground her center down on Quinn.

Quinn turned her head and brought her lips close to Santana’s but enough not to touch, “I’ve been wet since last night. I tried getting myself off this morning but I was rudely interrupted by my mother. I want you Santana and I can tell…” she moved her hand between Santana’s legs, “That you want me too.” She started teasing Santana’s clit with her finger.

Santana licked her lips and rotated her hips against the other woman’s finger.  She loved it when Quinn teased her but there really wasn’t that much time for her to tease, “We don’t have time for teasing. My parents are downstairs or maybe in their room and they could be expecting us at any time.”

“My naïve little Santana, your parents stepped out for a while, something about visiting your aunt I believe, we’re all alone for right now. We have no interruptions and I can have my nasty little way with you.” She stilled her fingers.

This movement caused Santana to whimper at the loss of contact she was beyond turned on, “Fuck Quinn! You can’t stop in the middle of this, I want you now.” She pleaded with her lover.

Quinn quirked her eyebrow, “I really wish we would have brought along our strap-on. I would have loved to fuck you with it, hard. deep. and fast.” She punctuated each movement with her hips.

Santana moaned in want, “I want you to strip and fuck me. You may not have your strap-on but you have very talented fingers and a tongue to die for.” She climbed off of Quinn and laid back on her bed.

She watched as Quinn slowly stripped her clothing off and made her way over to the bed. Santana couldn’t believe how lucky she was to have someone as beautiful as Quinn. Before Santana could say anything else Quinn’s lips was on hers. The kiss started out soft and innocent but became more as Quinn ran her tongue along Santana’s lip asking for entrance. She lightly nipped at Santana’s lip before slipping her tongue into the younger girls waiting mouth. Their tongues battled for dominance as they continued to kiss as if their life depended on it.

Quinn wanted to go slow and easy but her thoughts wouldn't let her. She kissed and sucked her way down to Santana’s breasts, she began teasing the bud with her tongue before sucking it in her mouth. She was consumed with the need to taste more, to touch further, to hear Santana scream with excruciating, painful desire…desire that she invoked. Quinn wanted all of those things and she wanted to be the only one satisfying that deep yearning…over and over again.

Santana’s head was spinning with every raw pulsating throb that Quinn seduced her nipples with. There was no other word for it but seduction. Her mouth hungrily made love to her aching breasts, her tongue tapping faster and faster on the tip, made Santana feel as if she was being devoured. And she loved it.

Quinn’s mouth opened fully as her right hand gripped Santana’s breast pushing it up. Her mouth closed eagerly around it, engulfing – consuming every inch of the tender flesh. Her nails raked down Santana’s side, digging painfully into her thighs, as she almost growled with unabashed voraciousness.

The slight intoxicating shivers that tingled throughout Santana’s body soon turned to rapid trembles. Her heart sped up and her cries turned to a fevered pitch as she screamed her pleasure, “Ay Dios, Quinn.” She was desperate to ease the pulsating ache in between her legs and in between her gasping pants she demanded her lover ease it.

"Oh…God…Quinn I want you in me now!" Santana moaned in desperation.

Hearing the loud demand, Quinn snarled her disapproval and bit down on Santana’s nipple.

"Oh fuck me!" Santana nearly screamed.

Quinn released her breast and looked at her lover. Her hand that had been gripping her thigh, slapped her lightly. "Don't tell me what to do Santana."

She leaned in to her ear and licked the rim, whispering softly, "I'll taste you when I'm ready."

Her hand moved in between Santana's legs and she raked her fingernail lightly over her clit. "I know you ache baby."

Santana’s head rolled from side to side on the pillow her harsh pants filling the room, as Quinn continued with her torment. She was glad that her radio was still on to muffle any sounds that were being made.

Quinn licked her ear again and then continued down her check and over her lips, stopping briefly to play with Santana's tongue as it came out to meet her. She rolled her tongue around Santana's then abandoned it and licked her way up to her right ear. "But I want you hotter.”

Slowly she licked the outer rim then kissed the sensitive spot behind her earlobe. "I want you wetter."

She trailed her finger down her already sopping slit and circled her hole. Slowly and gently she pushed one finger inside. "When I pump my tongue inside of you, I want to taste nothing but your sweet cum, Santana."

"Oh my God…yes." Santana whined. Her heart felt like it was going to pound out of her chest as her body flamed with unsated desire. She needed more…had to have more.

She began to struggle, her arms moving anxiously as Quinn held both arms above her head with one hand. She was hot, extremely horny and aching all over. All she wanted to do was grab Quinn by the head and shove her face in between her legs. She never knew she could feel so helpless…so vulnerable, and she didn't like it. Her only comfort was the knowledge that she would have her revenge. And it wouldn't be long before Quinn was in the same situation that Santana was in now.

Santana felt Quinn’s finger slowly slip out of her, she clenched her inner muscles, desperately trying to pull her back in.

Quinn chuckled at her attempts and pulled her finger out. She raised it to her mouth and her lips closed around it drawing inside of her mouth she sucked Santana’s juices off. She hummed with pleasure as her eyes closed. "You taste so good Santana, like cinnamon, so fucking good. I can never get enough of your taste."

Feeling Santana’s juices coat her tongue, Quinn wondered how much longer she would be able to go without cumming herself. Her own body throbbed with lust and her core panged painfully. She needed her release and soon, she looked down at Santana. Her head continued to toss back and forth on the pillow and her mouth was slightly open, and Quinn took advantage of it.

Quinn straddled Santana’s body, she hung her left breast just above Santana’s head she lowered her breast to her face and rubbed it back and forth over her lips.

Quinn felt the soft bulge against her mouth, and opened her mouth grasping Quinn’s swollen nipple as she grazed her mouth. She sucked hungrily. Trying to devour as much as she could.

Quinn’s hand rose and cupped Santana’s cheek lovingly. Petting her approval. Her head fell back and her eyes closed as ecstasy filled. Bolts of pleasure shot through her as her hips began to rotate in midair.

"Yes baby, suck…" She cajoled as her hand continuing to pet Santana’s face.

Wet slurping sounds escaped Santana’s mouth as she released her nipple and licked the underside of Quinn’s breast, her hands gripping the bedpost as she tried to lift up and take more. But once more, Quinn denied her, as she pulled away and sat back.

Quinn stopped and took deep breaths, she yearned and trembled all over, and she was as impatient as she knew Santana was. Not wanting to end her domination just yet, she knew she had to stop and take a breather. It was either that or she was going to sit on Santana’s face and explode.

Santana was beyond frustrated as she waited with baited breath to see what sensation she would be hit with next. She took the moment to relax her overheated senses. She knew what Quinn was doing. She could practically smell Quinn’s excitement and it made her smile inside. She was just as hot and unsatisfied as Santana was, and that held a small bit of solace for her.

Feeling like she once more had a grip on her own growing desires, Quinn leaned down, gently kissing Santana on the lips. She nibbled tenderly, and then placed feather light kisses on each corner of her mouth. Leisurely she ran her tongue across her upper lip and then down to the bottom lip. She pulled on it with her own lips then sucked softly, letting her tongue roll around it.

"Oh God Quinn, you feel so good." Santana moaned languidly. The soft touches and light nibbles were a soothing balm to her frenzied body, and she welcomed it. Wanting to enjoy every unhurried touch, she didn't move. She lay still allowing Quinn to do whatever she wanted.

Quinn’s hands slid down Santana’s body, as her lips left her mouth. She trailed a wet path down her throat and then placed a kiss at the base of her neck. Her salty skin tasted yummy but she didn't linger instead she moved lower.

Her tongue once again trailed a wet path down the length of Santana’s chest. She mischievously avoided the tempting globes of flesh that Santana, twisting her body slightly, tried to get under Quinn’s mouth as she passed them on her way down her taut belly. She circled her bellybutton with her tongue then moved to Santana’s side, and then licked up and then down again.

The second Quinn reached her bellybutton Santana’s pulse sped up again. The anticipation of feeling that tongue on her hot core consumed her thoughts and fired her senses. She swallowed and bit her lip, not wanting to beg – at least not yet.

“What are you doing to me Quinn?” Santana asked breathlessly, she wanted to come so bad.

Quinn moved her fingers between Santana’s legs and gently pressed them her glistening sex. Her mouth watered as she watched Santana’s juices glistened on her fingers, she picked up her pace moving her fingers faster.

Santana moaned loudly her senses inundated with the soft gentle caresses of Quinn’s fingers across her swollen pussy. It was one of the most erotic sensations she had ever felt. Or at least she thought she ever felt.

But the next second, that ethereal sensation left as she felt a sharp slight smack against her pussy. Her head shot off the pillow at the abrupt switch from soft to hard. The quick contrast of feelings made her heart jump out of her chest and caused her pussy to ache even more.

"Did you like that baby?" She asked sweetly.

Santana swallowed trying to catch her breath, "Oh God yes!"

"Should I do it again?" She moved her fingers across her wet lips, then up and down. "Should I punish my naughty girl?" She asked in her sex voice, that she knew Santana loved so much.

She could feel her excitement oozing out of her and down her leg, and she knew that she was ready to beg, "Yes…please Quinn."

Quinn smiled again and then pulled her hand back and once more let her hand caress Santana’s lips. Quinn knew that the sharp slap against Santana’s aching lips would create some discomfort, and that was what she wanted.

Lifting her wrist she swatted the tan flesh again, a little harder this time, and Santana groaned with brazen ecstasy. Her hips twitched up and off the bed. "Oh God Quinn!" The slap creating the most delicious yearning her body had ever felt.

"That feels good doesn't it baby? You like that?" She asked again, getting off on each and every moan. Quinn didn’t know what came over her but she didn’t want to stop.

“Yes.” Santana hissed out, that last slap stinging her sensitive skin.

Quinn was satisfied with the answer that Santana had given. She moved down Santana’s body slowly making sure to take her time to nip at sensitive skin. Quinn stopped when she was face to face with Santana’s swollen and wet pussy.

Her tongue came out and slowly she licked Santana’s wet slit up and then down, circling her hole as she did.

Santana moaned her appreciation, her head once more rocking back and forth on the pillows. Quinn’s wet tongue was the cooling ointment her fevered flesh needed, and while it cooled her aching lips it also heightened her desire. "Oh my God Quinn, I need you so bad." Santana moaned no longer caring about anything else except Quinn’s tongue on her pussy.

Her hands came up and gripped Santana’s thighs, painfully spreading her legs further apart, as she scooted even closer to her prize. Staring at her throbbing clit, she moaned as her mouth closed around it. She sucked on it hard and fast as her tongue tapped swiftly on the top.

"Oh my God Quinn! Oh my fucking God!" Santana screamed. Her pussy was throbbing uncontrollably. Quinn’s mouth sucked and licked her clit, hard and fast, and she couldn't help but rotate her hips closer to that hot wet mouth. Needing more.

Quinn let Santana push against her, more intent on what she was doing then disciplining. She growled her satisfaction with the feeling of being lost in such perfection. But it still wasn't enough. She could feel Santana’s body quivering and jerking with need. And she wanted to take her to the point of no return.

She quickly released her clit then licked a path down to Santana’s welcoming hole. She circled it as her hands slipped under Santana’s ass and she lifted her off the bed. Evilly she told Santana what she was going to do next, knowing how it would turn the other girl on. "I'm going to fuck you my naughty girl."

"Yes, Quinn, please, fuck me.” Santana moaned beyond turned on at the moment. She honestly hoped that her parents weren’t home

Quinn circled her hole again with her tongue as her thumb circled Santana’s clit. Then without any reserves she plunged her tongue inside Santana’s hot core.

"Holy Fuck!" Santana screamed.

Quinn started a strong stroking motion. When she pulled her tongue out of Santana’s core she pressed her thumb against her clit. She kept it up thrusting and plunging as fast as she could, moaning against Santana’s flesh as she did, and eliciting wonderful vibrations throughout Santana’s already bundled nerves.

Behind her eyelids she could just make out stars as they started to get brighter and brighter with every thrust of Quinn’s talented tongue. "Please Quinn, make me cum. PLEASE!" She begged and pleaded – the prospect of relieve just over the horizon. But she regretted her outburst a second later as Quinn suddenly stopped. The stars faded and she was left feeling numb, throbbing painfully, and completely and totally unsatisfied.

Quinn sat up and smirked at her. "You didn't think I'd let you cum before I did, did you?" She asked a little too sweetly.

Santana sighed heavily and answered grudgingly, "No Quinn, this is so not fair you know."

Quinn scooted up the bed again, "I want you to see my pussy baby. I want you to see how hot and wet I am for you."

She straddled Santana’s head and lowered herself to her mouth. "Make me cum Santana. Suck my pussy."

Santana groaned her eyes were clear and bright now as she stared up at Quinn’s beautiful sopping wet pussy. "Yes mi amor." She whispered just as Quinn lowered herself on to her mouth.

She sucked greedily, moving her tongue across her clit as she did.

"Yes Santana, just like that my naughty girl." Quinn demanded as she pushed herself further against her hot mouth.

Santana brought her hands up and squeezed Quinn’s ass. She loved Quinn’s tight ass and the sounds she made when she grabbed onto it when the other woman was riding her face. Santana was enjoying Quinn’s juices flow within her mouth. Quinn always tasted so good, like a glass of the finest merlot.

“Oh God, Santana. Please don’t stop, keep fucking me baby!” Quinn screamed as she orgasmed, rocking her hips up and down and side to side over Santana’s mouth, riding out wave after wave of ecstasy that filled her entire being.

After a few seconds and the waves receded she opened her eyes and moved away from Santana. She looked at her lover. Her eyes were shut tight, she was panting heavily and sweat covered her body. Quinn removed herself from Santana’s mouth and kissed her gently on the lips, as her hand roamed down Santana’s body and to her raw pussy causing the younger girl to moan, “I'll make it better." She whispered.

Leaning down she thrust her tongue inside of Santana’s welcoming mouth just as she plunged three fingers inside of her tight hole.

They ravaged each other's mouth as Quinn continued to fuck Santana with her fingers.

The faster and deeper her fingers plunged, the quicker and harder their mouths engaged.

Santana pulled away needing to breathe, needing to scream her release. "Oh Fuck! I’m yours Quinn! I am so fucking yours!" She shouted.

Quinn smiled lovingly at Quinn as she watched the play of emotions on her face. Quinn’s lower body gyrated against her hand as she slowed her movements down, letting Santana ride her own wave of release.

After several minutes Santana’s body slowed to a stop and her eyes closed dazedly. She was numb and totally sated.

Quinn pulled her hand out, and unable to resist one more taste of her lover, she licked her fingers clean. “That’s right Santana, you are mine and don’t you forget it.” She kissed Santana passionately.

Santana could have fallen asleep right there but she knew that her parents were back and they wanted them downstairs. Quinn pulled Santana close to her, her need was satiated for now, but she knew eventually she would want more.

Santana snuggled closer to Quinn, “I love you Quinn.” She whispered sleepily.

Quinn kissed the top of her head, “I love you too Santana. So very much. You know we’re going to have to shower again. We can’t go downstairs smelling like sex.” She chuckled throatily.

“I know babe, I’m comfortable right here though. I don’t want to leave your arms.” Santana replied trying her hardest not to fall asleep.

They reluctantly untangled themselves as they made move to get off the bed. Santana knew it was a risky move but she knew that they needed a shower badly. Santana stuck her head out of her door and called for her mami and papi. When she didn’t receive a response she motioned for Quinn to grab her clothes and follow her into the bathroom. Quinn closed the door and locked it behind them. Santana turned on the shower and got in, making sure to hold the shower curtain open for her lover. Quinn stepped behind her and began kissing Santana’s neck lightly. This move caused Santana to moan softly, “We can’t Quinn. There is no way we can be quiet.”

Quinn pouted, “I know but I couldn’t help myself. There is something about you Santana, I can’t get enough of you.”

Santana turned and faced Quinn gazing into hazel eyes, “I can’t get enough of you either Quinn. My body is on fire right now and I want you again. I don’t want to traumatize my parents with them hearing me having sex with my girlfriend.”

Quinn licked her lips, “Could you imagine the second hand embarrassment we would suffer. Yeah, I don’t want to deal with that. Our family may be cool with us being together but us having sex is another thing.”

Santana laughed, “Yeah, I don’t want to give them that visual. Now, let’s wash so we can eat, I’ve worked up quite the appetite.”

They showered quickly making sure to dry themselves thoroughly before putting on their clothes. Quinn had to go commando in her pants, not wanting to put on her underwear again. She didn’t mind though especially since she knew that Santana didn’t have on any underwear her dress. Thanksgiving dinner is about to get interesting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hot and bothered yet?


	35. Santana's Thanksgiving Part 2

Santana and Quinn made it downstairs just in time to see their parents walk through the door. Santana sent a silent thank you to whoever was listening that her parents were not in the house during their sexual interlude. They exchanged knowing looks, what their parent’s don’t know won’t hurt them.

“We were wondering when you were going to come back home? For a moment I thought Quinn and I were going to have dinner alone.” Santana had a small pout on her face.

Xavier smiled, “Your mami and I went to see your abuela, to see if she would change her mind and come to dinner tonight, Santana.”

Santana grew hopeful, “What did she say? Is she coming?”

Maribel looked at her daughter sympathetically, “She is not coming Santana, I’m sorry. She is still coming to terms with you being a lesbian and you being with Quinn.”

Quinn squeezed Santana’s hand, she knew that her girlfriend was hurt, but didn’t want to show it. She had a piece of mind to go over to the elder Lopez’s house and give the woman a piece of her mind, for hurting Santana.

Santana shrugged, “I’m not worried about it. I have my main family right here and that is all that matters.”

Xavier kissed his daughter’s cheek, “That’s all that matters. I don’t know about you but I am ready to eat.” He headed towards the kitchen.

Maribel chuckled, “You’re always hungry. Let’s get the food on the table before it gets too cold.” She followed behind her husband with Judy following behind her.

Quinn looked at Santana, “I’m really sorry about abuela not coming today. I know you were hoping she would change her mind.”

Santana brushed it off, “I could care less everyone who matters is here, anyways. If she doesn’t want to be here, then it’s her loss, she is missing out on an awesome meal and her equally awesome granddaughter.” She joked even though she was feeling a little less than joyful.

“Come on, let’s get some food in our stomachs, I’ve worked up quite an appetite.” Quinn smirked and led Santana out of the living room and into the dining room.

_XOXOXO_

When Quinn and Santana entered the dining room they were met with a table full of what would be considered Thanksgiving heaven. The table was lined with ham, pernil, lasagna, green bean casserole, greens and everything else. The two women didn’t realize how much they missed all this food, while they were in New York.

Maribel shook her head, “Don’t just stand there. Sit down so we can eat.” She pointed at the empty chairs.

Quinn sat down and Santana sat down beside her. Xavier was at the head of the table, Maribel was on his right and Judy had sat next to her, leaving Quinn and Santana sitting to the left. The last place Quinn wanted Santana to sit was next to her father especially with the ideas running through her head.

She leaned over and whispered in Santana’s ear, “Too bad you are sitting next to your father. I would give anything to be able to put my hand in between your legs and make you cum.” She moved back over.

Santana cleared her throat Quinn was definitely going to get hers tonight. She smiled politely at the adults, who seemed to be watching their every move. Santana felt like she was in a fish bowl and wanted dinner to be over with.

Xavier led everyone in prayer and the food was passed around and plates were full with various goodies. The wine flowed and conversations were had. They talked about life in New York, Santana’s classes, Quinn’s job and what Santana was going to do after she graduated. They didn’t touch the topic of abuela because; talking about her would bring down everyone’s mood.

“How are you classes coming along Santana?” Judy asked the youngest Lopez, she felt like she hasn’t talked to her in years.

Santana wiped her mouth, “I love my classes, and there is this one professor who is a major pain in my side. She is harsh with her grading, other than that; my other classes are a breeze. I may be able to graduate early because my grades are that good. I still have to take my core classes though before I can even think about early graduation.” She smiled proud of her accomplishments.

Judy was impressed, “So you will be finished when?”

Santana thought for a moment, “If all goes well, I will be graduating in 2016 instead of 2017. I also plan to go to graduate school to get my masters in social work. While I’m doing that I will be working of course.”

Maribel smiled and looked at Quinn, “Look at you Quinnie, being an influence on our little Santanita.”

Quinn ducked her head trying to hide her blush she didn’t think she influenced Santana _that_ much. She made sure that Santana did her homework and didn’t slack off too much, she loved Santana to death but she also wanted to see the young woman succeed in life and in school.

Quinn cleared her throat, “I won’t say I influence her, but I help her along the way. She has a schedule that she must follow and there is a little discipline involved as well.” She glanced sideways at Santana.

Maribel raised her eyebrow, “I can’t imagine you disciplining Santana, she has sass for days. You know how she is.”

Quinn tried not to smirk, “I know how Santana can be. I use positive and negative reinforcement that gets the job done. Isn’t that right Santana?” She moved her hand slowly up the young woman’s thigh.

Santana swallowed her food, “She is a real slave driver. She checks my homework and goes over my papers, if they aren’t to her liking…well she makes me do it again or denies me something I want.” She put her hand on Quinn’s ever persistent hand.

The adults around the table were oblivious as to what was transpiring between the couple sitting at the table. They were enjoying their own conversation Santana tried to pay attention but Quinn’s hand would not stop inching up her thigh. Santana scratched the wandering hand, hoping that Quinn would get the hint. Quinn’s smirk disappeared as she felt nails digging painfully in her hand. Santana grinned at her little victory; little did she know that she would pay for that little transgression later.

The rest of dinner went smoothly, conversations were had, there was laughter and the wine wasn’t bad either. Despite her abuela not being there, Santana thought this was, the best Thanksgiving ever.

_XOXOXOXO_

Dinner went better than Quinn and Santana thought it would. Santana tried her best to deter Quinn’s hand from moving up her thigh, but that did not stop Quinn from trying her best. That’s the reason why Santana is pushed up against her door with Quinn’s fingers deep inside of her, she was trying her best to keep quiet, but when Quinn kept hitting that one spot that drove her wild it as hard.

Quinn whispered in Santana’s ear, “You disobeyed me at dinner tonight. What did I tell you about denying me? Do you think that the rules have changed, since we are at your parents’ house? You forget that you may be in control in public but I am in control at all times.” She continued thrusting hard and fast inside of Santana.

Santana threw her head back against the door, “I’m sorry Quinn, I didn’t meant to…to stop you. I didn’t want our parents to know what we were doing.” She panted in between thrusts. Santana was on the edge of coming, she hoped that Quinn would have mercy on her, and let it come to pass.

Quinn withdrew her fingers causing Santana to whimper in disappointment, “You think I was going to let you come?” She looked at her girlfriend, “Look at me Santana.” She commanded.

Santana opened her eyes, brown met hazel, “Please let me cum Quinn. I’m sorry about dinner tonight.” She pleaded all she wanted was to come.

Quinn smirked, “That’s not going to work princess, you are denied.” She brought her fingers up to her mouth and sucked them slowly before releasing them, “You taste so good Santana. You are being punished for your little stunt at dinner. You are not allowed to cum, until we are back in New York. You cannot touch yourself for the next 48 hours.” She moved closer to Santana their lips barely touching, “I will be sleeping over here tonight, to make sure you do not touch Santana. You have been naughty and this is your punishment.” She backed away never taking her eyes off of her over, “You are going to strip and then you are going to make me cum again and again.” Quinn started taking her clothes off and made her way over to Santana’s bed, lying down on it, “If and I do mean if, you are a good girl, I may let you come tonight.” She teased.

Santana wore a hopeful expression as she began stripping out of her clothes. She tossed her dress on her desk chair along with her bra. Santana didn’t have to worry about underwear since Quinn had her take them off. With a predatory smirk, Santana made her way over to the bed and climbed on top of Quinn, kissing her passionately. She made sure that Quinn was thoroughly satisfied.

_XOXOXOXO_

Maribel, Xavier and Judy were in the living room enjoying a bottle of wine. They were enjoying the silence of the moment. They were not surprised when Quinn and Santana went upstairs for the rest of the evening. Xavier chalked it up to their daughters needing time to themselves, in New York it was just the two of them. Judy and Maribel thought otherwise, they were not oblivious to what was going on at the table between Quinn and Santana. They pretended not to notice to keep their daughters from being embarrassed.

Xavier cleared his throat, “Tonight was a success despite my mother not coming today. I thought she would at least change her mind, it’s been a long time, since Santana had been home.”

Maribel placed a hand on her husband’s thigh, “I know, it’s her loss that she is missing out on her granddaughter’s life. You know how she is about her beliefs and how she feels that Santana is an embarrassment to the family.” She placed her glass on the table.

Judy nodded her head in agreement, “I could only imagine what Santana is going through being rejected by someone she cared so much about. It makes me wonder how Russell would have reacted if he knew that Quinn liked girls. Specifically Santana, considering she used to baby sit her.” She was actually kind of glad that Russell was gone. She knew that he would try to send Quinn away to one of those conversion camps.

Xavier sighed, “Hopefully, she will never have to find out.”

They heard a loud thud coming from upstairs but ignored it, the figured that Quinn and Santana were probably playing video games or doing whatever it is that they do. They resumed their conversation when they noticed everything had gone silent again.

Maribel chuckled, “I swear those two are like bulls in a china shop. I wonder how they keep from killing each other. I do like how Quinn keeps Santana focused and on task. I remember how hard it was when Quinn left for college, I thought we were going to have to send her away.”

Judy chuckled, “Oh my God, please don’t remind me, Santana was a little terror after Quinn had left. I didn’t realize how much it was going to affect her, she loved Quinn from an early age. I could tell when they first met, that Santana was smitten.” She smiled at the memory.

Xavier shook his head, “Quinn was all that Santana could talk about, it was Quinn this and Quinn that. I knew it was more than just a crush. I am happy that they got over themselves and found it within to be happy.” He looked at Judy, “How does all this make you feel? I mean Quinn and Santana being together?” They talked about it in passing, but they never really discussed it in length.

It was Judy’s turn to sigh, “I was a little put off by it considering their history with each other and our history. I didn’t approve at first, but after talking to Quinn and seeing the two of them together, I came to terms with it. Apparently, I was the last one to really know anything, I was completely oblivious or maybe I didn’t want to see. Quinn really does love Santana and I know Santana really loves Quinn.” She took a sip of her wine, “Don’t tell Quinn I told you this, but she was jealous of Brittany and Santana’s relationship” She smiled remembering how Quinn’s voice changed when she explained their relationship.

Xavier drained his wine glass, “I had reservations about Santana and Brittany’s relationship, but then I saw that she tamed Santana to an extent. I honestly thought that Brittany was a Quinn substitute but I realized that they genuinely cared for each other. I hope Quinn got over her jealousy. Santana only has eyes for Quinn and Quinn only.”

Maribel laughed, “I think our daughters would be mortified to hear us talking about them like this.”

Judy laughed, “I don’t think they would mind. They are probably in their own little world in Santana’s room.”

Xavier stood up to get another bottle of wine, he was on his way to the liquor cabinet, when the sound of the doorbell chimed throughout the house. He looked at Maribel, “Were we expecting anyone tonight?”

Maribel shrugged her shoulders, “No, we were all getting together tomorrow night. I wonder who that could be.” She got up and made her way to the door, she opened it and saw Alma standing at the door.

Alma smiled, “Sorry to stop by so late, but I wanted to see you and Santana. I want to apologize to her.”

Maribel opened the door further to allow the older Lopez woman to enter the house, “I am happy to see you and I know Santana will be more than happy to see you. Come in and get comfortable, I’ll go get Santana.”

Alma closed the door behind her and made her way to the living room as Maribel headed up the stairs. She saw Xavier and Judy talking, “I hope I’m not interrupting.”  

Xavier got up and gave his mother a hug, “I am so glad you came mama. What made you change your mind?”

Alma smiled, “Quinn can be persuasive when she wants to be. I can see why she is so special to Santana.” She greeted Judy with a smile, “It’s good to see you again Judy.”

Judy smiled, “It’s good to see you too Alma.”

Maribel came back downstairs, “Santana and Quinn will be down in a moment.” She tried to hide her blush.

Alma smiled, “I have all the time in the world.” She gave her daughter in law a smile.

_XOXOXOXO_

Santana and Quinn were coming down from their orgasmic high, well Quinn was recovering, when there was a knock at the door. They rushed around putting their clothes on and made sure that they both didn’t look thoroughly fucked. When they were set to rights Santana opened the door to see her mother standing there, “Hey mami you woke us up, is something wrong?” She asked her mother.

Maribel rolled her eyes, “You’re needed downstairs, there is someone here who wants to see you.” She smirked, “Oh, and Santana, you may want to cover that love bite on your neck. I don’t think it would be in good form to have a guest see that.’ She winked and walked down the hall and down the stairs.

Santana closed the door and glared at Quinn, “You fucking marked me? What the hell Quinn?!”

Quinn smirked, “Oops, I must have gotten carried away.” Her smirk turning into a fullblown smile, “Now you heard mami, we need to get downstairs because you have a visitor.”

Santana decided not to do anything about the hickey from Quinn, “Let’s go downstairs to see who is disturbing our time together.” She grabbed Quinn’s hand and led her out of the room and walked down the stairs.

Quinn smiled as she was being led by Santana, she may be the one with the control, but she loved it when Santana took the lead. She would follow Santana where she would lead, yes Quinn Fabray was sprung and she didn’t care.

She nearly dropped Santana’s hand when she saw Alma sitting on the couch in the living room. Quinn was surprised to see her here, she secretly hoped that Alma would show up, to see Santana. It took a lot of hard work on her part to get the Lopez matriarch to see reason.

Alma looked at Santana and Quinn, then back at Santana before approaching her granddaughter, “Santana? I am so sorry, can you forgive me?” She asked with a voice full of hope.

Santana let go of Quinn’s hand and hugged her grandmother, “I forgive you abuela. I am so happy you came.” She cried softly as she felt her grandmother holding her close.

Xavier moved over to Quinn and gave her a hug, “You’ve done well Quinn. Thank you. You brought our family together again.” He kissed her cheek.

Quinn hugged him back and whispered, “No need for thanks dad, I would do anything to make Santana happy.”

Everyone watched as grandmother and granddaughter made up and mended the broken fences between them. Alma took a step towards Quinn, “Thank you Quinnie for bringing Santanita back to me. I realize the mistake I’ve made and I want to apologize to you. You’re like a granddaughter to me. I am glad that Santanita has you and you her.” She drew Quinn into a hug, which Quinn gladly returned, releasing the breath that she had been holding.

The Lopez-Fabray family finished celebrating Thanksgiving together. Santana was happy to have her family together for the holiday. She pulled Quinn into the kitchen and kissed her, “Thank you so much babe, you made me the happiest woman alive. I love you, reina de mi corazon”

Quinn blushed, “Anything for you Santana. I love you too, mi cielo.” She pulled Santana into a passionate kiss. This definitely was The. Best. Thanksgiving. Ever.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanksgiving is over...we will be dealing with Christmas and then a time jump, we are coming to the end of this little journey.


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Santana and Quinn go shopping for their Christmas tree.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year!! It's been almost 84 years, but you know life, it's a bitch sometimes. I wanted to give you a heads up, There is one more chapter after this one followed by an epilogue. Santana's and Quinn's journey has come to an end, but I may revisit this verse again. 
> 
> ***No beta, all mistakes are mine***

Thanksgiving had come and gone and now Santana and Quinn were back in New York preparing for Christmas. The time with their family was perfect especially when abuelita showed up on Thanksgiving Day. Santana was so grateful to her girlfriend that she showed her appreciation in so many delicious ways. Santana was stressing though, the semester was ending for Christmas break, and she was facing finals. She returned to school following her vacation to see her parents, she had a couple of classes with Noelia, but other than that, the other girl avoided her like she was the plague. Santana missed her but she knew she couldn’t return the other girls feelings because of her relationship with Quinn, and she did not see her that way. They maintained a civil school relationship but anything outside of school, they did not talk at all.

Santana sighed and threw her notes on the couch; she was tired, hungry, and frustrated. When she was in high school studying was so much easier, she knew that college was a different ballgame. She wondered how Lady Hummel and Berry were handling their finals coming up. She looked at the clock and saw that it was almost time for Quinn to come home, they had spoken earlier in the day and Quinn had told her that she wanted to go look for their Christmas tree today. Santana was excited her first Christmas with Quinn as a couple with the two of them. They asked their parents to come to New York for Christmas since Kurt’s parents were coming and so was Rachel’s. They were like family anyways since they’ve known each other since they were toddlers. Santana went into the room to change out of her clothes and to take a shower; she had been sitting around the house in her pajama’s all day.

Santana figured out what she was going to wear and grabbed her towel and headed into the shower. She made sure she put her iPhone on the dock and turned it on; she started the shower and began stripping her clothes off. Santana stepped into the shower and sighed in contentment as the warm water hit her skin. Santana was amazed at how everything was turning out for the better for her and Quinn. Thanksgiving had been the turning point, they were open with their relationship, and abuela accepted their relationship and gave Quinn and Santana her blessing. She and Quinn both were happy about that, but she was still a little miffed about Melissa and tried to come up with ways to make sure the woman got what was coming to her. She is Santana ‘fucking’ Lopez and no one fucks with her familia.

~SQSQSQSQ~

Quinn made sure that she left the office on time to get home to Santana. She knew that her girlfriend soon to be fiancée had finals coming up before Christmas vacation and knew that she would be stressed out to the max. She had heard Santana complain about it over and over again, so she decided to use today as a way to get Santana to relax without worrying about exams. Quinn had wanted this Christmas to be special since it was the first Christmas they would be spending together as a couple, and the first Christmas that they have spent together after her long absence. They’ve been back in New York for about three weeks now and she had already purchased Santana’s engagement ring. She had to do make excuses to ring shop to keep Santana from being suspicious. Quinn smiled at the thought which she was quickly brought out of when she heard an all too familiar voice calling her name.

“Quinn! Wait up, can we talk for a minute?” Melissa’s voice called behind her.

Quinn rolled her eyes and continued walking trying to get away from the woman as fast as she could. She had been able to avoid the woman at all cost but this time she was not so lucky. Quinn continued walking hoping that if she ignored the woman that she would leave her alone. Unfortunately Quinn wasn’t that lucky when she felt someone tug on her arm.

“What the hell do you want Melissa? I told you to stay away from me.” She asked the woman as calmly as she could.

Melissa tried her best to look sorry, “I’m sorry Quinn. I know you said to stay away, but I wanted to apologize for what happened between us a few weeks ago at your apartment. I was out of line and I didn’t mean to hurt you or Santana. I let my jealousy get the best of me.”

Quinn could see past the bullshit and got straight to the point, “You are not sorry for what you’ve done. You probably thought that little stunt you pulled that night at my apartment would have caused an issue between me and Santana. Newsflash bitch, it only brought us closer together, the little games you are playing are over.” She smirked before continuing, “If you do not heed my warning of staying away from me or Santana, I will make your life a living hell. I know people who can make you disappear without another word, they can make whatever happens to you look like an accident.”

Melissa’s face went ashen as if she saw a ghost, “You wouldn’t you do not have the ovaries to do something like that. I would like to see you try.” She challenged trying to portray her bravery which she was seriously failing at.

Quinn smiled, “Wouldn’t you like to know. Oh and by the way, watch your back.” She turned and walked away leaving Melissa to ponder her words.

Quinn stepped on the subway and found her usual seat and sat down in the chair. She wondered what Santana was doing and if she was still studying. When they got back to New York, they talked about their future and what Santana wanted. She still had her moments of insecurity but Santana made sure that she chased those away. They’ve come a long way and she couldn’t have been happier about it. The subway stopped at her normal stop and she got off the train, making the familiar trek to their apartment. She greeted the doorman and made her way up to the elevator that led to the best place in the world to her. The elevator stopped and she got off and readied her keys to open the door. As soon as she stepped in she dropped her briefcase by the door and removed her shoes, then took off her gloves, hat, scarf and finally her coat hanging them on the coat rack. The apartment was quiet she walked further in and saw Santana’s books and notes all over the living room table. She made her way to the bedroom where she could hear music coming from the room and the smell of Santana’s body wash. Quinn smiled at the thought of Santana being in the shower, she wanted to get in there with her, but they were on a schedule and she knew that they would do more than just shower. Quinn used this time to change her clothes and slip into something more comfortable. The water in the bathroom turned off which meant that Santana’s shower time was over. She sat on the bed as she waited for her girlfriend to come out of the bathroom.

Quinn wasn’t disappointed when she was the door open and a cloud of fog come out of the bathroom. She could never understand how Santana could take such hot showers. Her girlfriend entered the room in nothing but a towel, her hair in a messy bun with little tendrils framing her face. Quinn thought she looked like a Goddess and thanked the heavens that Santana was all hers.

“Enjoy your shower babe?” She asked her girlfriend.

Santana held tightly to her towel, “When did you get home babe? And don’t scare me like that, I could have went all Lima Heights on your ass.” She approached the bed slowly, making sure that Quinn had a good look at her legs.

Quinn got off the bed and met her girlfriend and kissed her lightly on the lips, “I just got here. I would have joined you in the shower, but we have plans and I didn’t want to get all wet.” She teased.

Santana licked her lips, “There is nothing wrong with being wet, after all I am all wet and you don’t hear me complaining.”

Teasing and flirting was their game, to some it may seem like some sort of power play, but in all actuality it was all part of their dynamic. Rachel had brought that up when she and Santana were having lunch the other day. She felt that with Quinn being older than Santana she held some sort of power of the younger woman. Santana was quick to shut it down, yes Quinn was older but she didn’t use that to her advantage. It may seem like Quinn has the control but it really is a 50/50 thing with them. They were equals and nothing more, yes Quinn likes to take control in the bedroom and Santana takes the lead outside of the bedroom. It works for them and it’s what keeps their relationship going strong and running smooth.

Quinn rolled her eyes, “Get dressed before I change my mind and take you right now. We have to get our tree and decorations so we can decorate it this weekend.”

Santana rolled her eyes in kind, “I am going to get dressed because I want to and not because I told you too. How was work today?” She asked making her way to the closet to find her something to wear.

“Work was work; I had a pretty tough case today. A little girl came in she was severely abused in a foster home. It’s tragic, how could anyone be so cruel to a child? I mean children are meant to be loved and cared for. They are gifts that should be cherished, you know?” She loved her job but there are times when she hated it.

Santana understood where her girlfriend was coming from; it’s tough dealing with kids especially ones who were mistreated by family or by the system. That is one of the reasons why she wanted to become a social worker, to help make a difference to children who were put in shitty situations.

“I understand babe, but people see children as disposable, instead of loving them. I will be dealing with the same things you are dealing with when I finish my studies. When we have kids we’ll love them and care for them like the little angels they are.” She stepped out of the closet fully dressed.

Quinn smiled, “You are serious about us having children huh?”

Santana shrugged, “I told you, I was deadly serious about that. We are going to have children, whether it is biologically or adopting them. I told you, you’re it for me I am devoted to only you.”

“I love it when you get all sweet and sentimental. Let’s get going, you know how crowded it is around the shops.” Quinn got off the bed and walked out of the room, “Coming?”

Santana followed behind her girlfriend, “Not yet, but maybe I will be later.” She replied cheekily as she walked into the foyer grabbing her winter wear.

Quinn chuckled, “You are such a smart ass.”

“And I am proud of it babe.” She kissed Quinn on the cheek.

They walked out of the apartment hand and hand, taking comfort in each other’s company. They walked past the doorman and made their way to the garage, where Quinn’s car was parked. They would have taken Santana’s but her car was too small to transport a Christmas tree, Quinn’s car was more practical. They entered the car and waited for it to warm up a little bit, they only drive the car when needed Penn Station wasn’t that far from their home anyways, so it was best to leave it parked. Driving around New York City is horrible, traffic for days; it’s even worse when they go through the Holland Tunnel to get to New Jersey, that’s even worse. Despite the traffic Quinn likes spending time with Santana.

The car was warmed up enough and Quinn pulled the car out of the garage and Santana’s hand immediately searched for hers. It’s always been a habit of hers since she was a little girl and it’s one that she wasn’t going to stop now, it was a sense of comfort for her. Ellie Goulding _On My Mind_ was playing softly in the background but neither woman was paying attention to the song.

“Are we going to get a real tree or are we going to get an artificial one?” Santana asked, while looking at the passing buildings.

Quinn shrugged, “I was thinking of getting a real tree, but I don’t want to clean up falling pine needles. So I am thinking an artificial tree. What kind of tree do you want? This is our first Christmas together; I want it to be special.”

Santana glanced over at Quinn, “We can get an artificial tree this year, and maybe next year we can get a real tree. I want to do Christmas stockings though; we have a fireplace, so why not make the most of it. We can make one for me, you, mami, papi, mama, Rachel and Kurt.” She added the last two as an afterthought.

Quinn chuckled, “Kurt and Rachel? How are they doing anyways? You haven’t seen them as much since we’ve come back from Lima.”

“Kurt is Kurt; he is interning at Vogue and trying to navigate his way through NYADA. Rachel is still taking classes at NYADA, but she is also prepping for her role as Fanny Brice in the Broadway version of _Funny Girl_ ”

“If I remember correctly, Rachel had a serious hard on for Barbra Streisand and now she is playing a role made famous by Ms. Streisand herself. She is probably stressing out to the max about it. I am glad that they found their way in New York. I’m surprised you didn’t go the musical route. You always said you wanted to be a star.” Quinn navigated the roads as she made her way to Target.

Santana chuckled, “I still want to be a star but I realize that there are more important things than fame. I want to make a mark on the world but in a way that will associate my name with awesomeness.”

Quinn pulled into the Target parking lot and thanked the heavens that there was a car park close to the store. The store was full of people, but that should be expected, since a lot of people are doing their shopping. They got out of the car and made their way to the store, Quinn made sure that the car was locked.

The couple entered Target and Santana grabbed a cart and started pushing it. She wanted to feel a little useful. They watched as kids were running around the store telling their parents what they wanted for Christmas. Santana remembered what it was like being a kid around Christmas, she wanted everything she saw. She would make a Christmas list a mile long for Santa and somehow Santana always gave her what she wanted.

Obviously Quinn was having the same thoughts, “Remember when you were seven and you wrote Santa a letter but you spilled juice all over it and you spent an hour in your room crying, because you didn’t think that Santa would bring you everything on your list?”

Santana rolled her eyes, “That was very traumatic for me. How was Santa supposed to know what I wanted for Christmas? If I remember correctly, you were the one who got me to write my letter again. That you eventually gave to ‘Santa’ but I did get everything I wanted that year. So did you?”

“I did, that was one of the best Christmas’ I’ve ever had and the ones after were even better. Seeing your face was the best thing ever, you were so happy and carefree.”

The made it to the aisle that had the trees there were so many different sizes and heights, they already decided they didn’t want an extremely tall tree and they didn’t want an extremely tall tree. Santana stopped in front of a 6ft pre-lit tree, with white lights, beside it was a tree with colored lights.

“Which one do you want? We can have the colored lights or we can have the white lights?” She asked.

Quinn looked between the trees, “I think we should go with the white lights, they would go good with whatever colors we choose to decorate the tree. What do you think?” They have gotten a little better with compromise.

“I was looking at the white lights, so that is the one we should go with. Let’s go for it.” Santana looked for the box that had the tree on the front, grabbed it and placed it in the cart. Once they had the tree they made their way over to the decoration aisle and started choosing the colors that they thought would be good on their tree. After some debating they decided to go with blue and silver as their colors. Next up was the Christmas stockings, they found some blue ones, with the white fur at the top. Santana found some silver glitter pens that would be used to decorate the stockings.

They strolled through the store making sure to avoid all of the people in their way. It was noisy around them but they were in their own little bubble so it didn’t bother them as much.

“What are you going to get mami and papi for Christmas?” Quinn broke the silence.

“I don’t know, I was thinking of getting mami some perfume and papi some new golf clubs, but I know he would not be able to carry those on the plane. So I might have to think of something else. What are you going to get mama?”

Quinn shrugged, “I don’t even know. She is so hard to shop for, it’s like shopping for the Queen of England. What about you?”

“I honestly don’t know either but it will be something that she would definitely like.” Judy really wasn’t that hard to please.

“I am sure whatever you get mom is going to love. Anything she gets from you she would love. I swear it felt like she loved you more than me.”

Santana laughed, “Of course she did. How could she not? I was totally awesome and cute too.”

Quinn tried not to smile, “Whatever you say. Let’s check out and head home, I want to cook before it gets too late and you missy need to finish studying. You have finals coming up and I want you to do well.”

“Yeah, whatever. I will kill it on those finals, I know my shit inside and out. Study group has been a real big help too.”

Quinn liked that Santana had a life outside of her even if it meant study group. She was still leery that Noelia was still a part of it but she found a little peace that Noelia was no longer interested in Santana. That was one of the best things that came out of the whole Melissa situation, she killed one bird, now she needed to kill the other one in the most painful way possible. Quinn pushed those thoughts out of her head and focused on the here and now, she and Santana were in a good place, their family is happy for them and they were endgame. They checked out Quinn wanted to pay for everything but Santana said she wanted to pay as well. She may not have a job but her parents made sure that she had money to survive while she was in school. Santana agreed that they should each pay half. She loved Quinn but she didn’t want Quinn taking care of her all the time, she was no longer a child, and she wanted to take care of her as well.

The duo left Target with their parcels and headed to the car. Once everything was in the car, Santana pushed the cart back to the cart holder and ran to the car. The weather seemed to turn colder and it looked as if it was trying to snow. The women were in the car and Quinn maneuvered the car through the parking lot. The drive back home did not take as long and getting everything upstairs didn’t take that long either. They entered the apartment and put everything down by the door before divesting of their outer wear. Santana grabbed the tree and a bag while Quinn grabbed the other bags and took them to the living room. The plan was to get the tree tonight and then decorate it tomorrow.

“I’m going to go get started on dinner and you,” she made her way over to her girlfriend, “are going to study for a little while longer.” She kissed her cheek.

Santana pouted, “I don’t want to study anymore, my brain is going to explode.”

Quinn anticipated this, “If you finish up your studies, I would definitely make sure, that you are properly rewarded.”

Santana couldn’t argue with that she loved Quinn’s rewards, “Fine, you win but I want my reward later.”

Quinn shook her head, “Trust me, you will enjoy it.”

Quinn made her way to the kitchen and Santana made her way to her make shift study place in the living room and began going over her flash cards for her sociology exam on Monday.

 

 

 


	37. Santana and Quinn Celebrate Christmas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are the much anticipated proposal chapter. This chapter has all the feelings in it and I even teared up a little bit while writing it. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, added this to their favorites, followed. Sent me pm's and even dropped me a few lines over on tumblr, it really meant a lot and gave me the push that i needed to get this chapter out. This is bitter sweet, because this story was my baby, and the very first story I wrote for Quinntana. I am sad to see this story come to an end, but I do believe it is time. Not to worry though, there is an epilogue to follow, I hope to have it out in time to celebrate the 3rd birthday for this story. Okay, enough of the mushiness and on to the story.
> 
> *All mistakes grammatical and other wise are mine.*

Christmas morning was filled with laughter and love. The gifts were opened and everyone was pretty much spoiled, mainly Santana and Quinn. Their parents went all out and gave them both extravagant gifts. Quinn received a _Sony A7R II_ camera, with tripod, carrying case and all the accessories to go with it from her mother. Quinn had taken an interest in photography when she was younger and it followed her into adulthood and mentioned in passing that she needed a new camera. She received an _iPad Pro_ from Mama and Papi Lopez, abuela was sensible with her gift and gave her a silver charm bracelet, that was similar to Santana's. The older Lopez couldn't make the trip to New York due to a previous engagement. The best gift of all came from Santana, her girlfriend gave her an all-expenses paid weekend trip to one of the most upscale spas in New York. She would have a weekend of relaxation and fun, the stress of work, life and everything else will be massaged away. She had to admit, things have been a little stressful at work, she didn't want to let it show around her girlfriend, but Santana knew her and anticipated her needs.

Quinn couldn't help but smile as she watched everyone enjoying themselves. She was trying to hide her nervousness, she would be proposing to Santana today and she was really nervous. Quinn went over everything with Maribel and Judy, she was even able to rope Kurt and Rachel in it as well. She thought back to the conversation that she had with everyone while Santana was out doing her Christmas shopping. She asked Santana's parents if it was okay for her to ask Santana to marry her. They were both happy and gave their permission and Xavier had told her that she didn't have to ask their permission but he liked that she did. Judy was overjoyed about the whole proposal. They helped her come up with an idea to help make the proposal magical.

Quinn looked at the clock and then caught the attention of Maribel who was in the kitchen with Judy putting the finishing touches on Christmas dinner. Maribel gave her a wink and a nod as a way to tell her to get on with it.

"Santana?" Maribel called from the kitchen.

Santana stopped her conversation with her dad and Rachel to get up and make her way into the kitchen. Quinn used this time to go over the rest of her plan with Kurt and Rachel. She was a bit of perfectionist, don't hold it against her.

"Si mami?" She asked as she walked into the kitchen.

Maribel wiped her hands on her apron, "I need you and Quinn to go to the store I forgot to get the marshmallows for the yams. You know how much your dad loves the two of those together."

Santana protested, "Mami, it's Christmas. There are no stores opened today, unless I go to Rite Aid or Walgreens. Besides papi will be alright without them."

The older Lopez knew she was going to be met with resistance but had something else up her sleeve, "Santana, do this for your father, he doesn't get to indulge in this all the time. You don't want to disappoint him do you? He's been looking forward to this for weeks."

The younger Lopez fought the urge to roll her eyes, "Fine mami, you win. We will go get the marshmallows for the yams. Be happy I love you both, or else I wouldn't be doing this." She tried to be annoyed about it.

Santana was actually thrilled to be leaving the apartment, it would give her some much needed alone time with Quinn. Sure they had alone time after everyone went to bed, but this was time for the two of them. Santana loved her family but sometimes she wanted her peace and quiet with Quinn. She also wanted to find out what was going on with her girlfriend, she had been acting a little strange and when she tried to ask her about it, she gave her the standard answer. Something was definitely off with her girlfriend and she wanted to know what it was.

Santana left the kitchen and found Quinn waiting in the hallway already fully wrapped up, holding Santana's coat out for her. She made her way over to her girlfriend and put on her coat, followed by her gloves, hat and scarf.

"How did you know that we were going out?" She asked her girlfriend.

Quinn gave her signature smirk, "I overheard, so I decided to help you along. Come on we need to go before your father and Kurt die of hunger."

Quinn grabbed the young woman's hand and led them out of the apartment. She let out a breath that she didn't even know that she was holding. She was hoping that the surprise was waiting outside of the building.

"It feels so good to be out here and away from everyone else. I thought it would a full day of family bonding." Santana started complaining half-heartedly.

"I am glad that we were able to get a little bit of time alone. I am not used to sharing you so much." She bumped her shoulder against Santana's.

The elevator approached and the doors opened Quinn ushered Santana in and followed behind her, pushing the button to close the door. When the doors were closed She grabbed Santana by the lapels of her coat and kissed her soundly on the lips. This caught Santana off by surprise but she was not one to complain.

"W…what was that for? I missed kissing you, but you are not one for kissing in the elevators." She questioned.

Quinn shrugged, "Is there something wrong with me kissing my girl? Maybe I should kiss someone else." She teased.

Santana frowned, "You will not be kissing anyone but me. I do not like to share and I do not play well with others."

The elevator came to a stop on the ground floor and the doors opened. Quinn grabbed Santana's hand and led her out of the elevator and out of the building. She couldn't contain her smile when she saw the horse drawn carriage waiting for her and Santana.

"Wow, someone must have planned something special. Who has a horse and carriage waiting for them, like they're Cinderella." She looked at the white carriage in awe.

Quinn led her to the carriage, "Your chariot awaits, Cinderella."

Santana turned to look at Quinn with a surprised expression, "You, did this for me? You remembered." Her voice laced with emotion.

The woman smiled, "I remember when you were nine years old and you said, 'you would love nothing more to take a carriage ride in the city at Christmas time in the snow'. Well, my darling Santana you have your wish. It's not snowing but there is a lot of snow on the ground."

The carriage driver took Santana's hand and helped her into the carriage, followed by Quinn. She was completely and totally speechless. She did not expect Quinn to remember such a childish wish. "I love it Quinn. I can't believe you remembered." She exclaimed, while putting the blanket over both her and Quinn's lap. "Is this why mami made the excuse about getting marshmallows?"

Quinn smirked again, "A woman never tells her secrets, just sit back and enjoy the ride."

Santana kissed Quinn on the cheek and sat back as the carriage began to move. This was a total surprise for her a good surprise at that. She couldn't believe that Quinn went through all of this to make one of her wishes come true. In a way she felt kind of bad because Quinn had been doing so much for her and them, that she felt like she was taking advantage. Sure she would do things for Quinn, but it still felt one-sided to her. She remembered having this conversation with her mom and her mom reassured her that it will all work out in the end. Quinn had told her that she should focus on school and that she did a lot without even knowing it. Massages, fixing dinner, running her bath water etc. and that was good enough for her.

Santana was brought out of her morose thoughts as she felt Quinn squeeze her hand, "Stop thinking so much and enjoy. This is one of my gifts to you, after all I have seven Christmas' to make up for."

"I am enjoying this babe, I really am. I told you that you were forgiven for the past, I only care about our present and our future. This is one of the best Christmas' I've ever had and it's even more special because I am here with you. This was one of my wishes when I was a little girl. For you to come home and spend the holidays with us, well me." She quickly pressed her lips against Quinn's cheek.

The carriage ride was made in relative silence as the sound of the city lulled them into a sense of calm. Santana enjoyed being in the moment and the sights of the city. The carriage came to a stop in front of Central Park.

"What are we doing here?" Santana questioned her girlfriend.

Quinn smiled, "Well, I remember that we were watching _Enchanted_ and you fell in love with the scene where Giselle started singing 'That's how you know'.

Santana grinned, "Are you going to sing to me now?"

Quinn shook her head, "Nope. Now let's not leave the guy hanging, he is waiting for us to exit." She pushed the blanket off of them and stood up reaching her hand out for Santana to take.

Santana took the proffered hand and followed as Quinn as well as herself was helped out of the carriage. Santana thanked the carriage driver and followed Quinn into the entrance of the park, they walked around enjoying nature when they stopped in front of the fountain. As if on que music started and Quinn started singing "That's how you know" while dancing around the fountain"

Santana couldn't help but laugh at how cheesy it was but she was singing and dancing along with her. She didn't care who was watching or if anyone was watching at all. She was enjoying this moment with the love of her life. The song ended and they shared another kiss before walking along the rest of the park. They crossed the bridge and looked across the water, there were a few ducks swimming in the water. Which wasn't quite uncommon in New York, not all ducks and geese fly away for the winter.

"This is really beautiful Quinn; how did you find time to put this all together?" Santana questioned.

"Let's just say I had help from some elves. Are you enjoying yourself?" Quinn asked.

Santana smiled brightly, "I am really enjoying myself. This is up there for what you did for me for my eighteenth birthday."

"I'm glad. Come along babe, we have a few more things to do before we head back." They walked across the bridge hand and hand until they reached the ice skating rink. They stopped in front of it. They could see families and couples skating along and being so carefree.

Quinn watched Santana's face and saw her eyes light up at the sight. "I remember when you had the chicken pox and you couldn't go ice skating with Mercedes and Kurt. You were so disappointed and we spent the day watching Disney movies and eating snacks. I could tell that you were still sad for not being able to go, but you put on a brave face anyways." She led Santana over to the skate station.

Santana couldn't help but smile again, "We're going ice skating?" She couldn't keep the childlike glee out of her voice.

"That we definitely are." Quinn told the man her skate size and Santana followed suit. Quinn paid the guy and took Santana over to a bench and sat down putting their skates on.

Santana stood up and reached out her hand to Quinn. Quinn smiled at the gesture and put her hand in Santana's and they made their way to the rink. They entered the rink and waited for a family of four to pass by before getting out there and skating themselves. They took to the ice and skated along making sure that they were mindful of the others on the ice. Santana looked over at Quinn out of the corner of her eye and saw how relaxed and free she looked. She captured that moment in her memory forever.

They skated for what seemed like forever, skating separately and skating together. They were always meeting each other halfway. The chill in the air was getting to Santana and her cheeks were a rosy red. Quinn saw this and decided it was time for them to stop, they could have stayed like this forever, but Quinn had one more thing in mind before they went back home. This time skating was part of a more elaborate plan.

"You look like you are getting cold. Let's say we get out of here." She motioned for them to move off the ice.

"I thought you would never ask." Santana gave her a cheeky grin, bearing her dimpled cheeks.

They walked off the ice and towards the bench that held their belongings. They sat down and began taking off their skates and putting their regular shoes back on. Once they were situated in their shoes, the couple got up from the bench and made their way over to the skating station to turn their shoes back in.

"That was so much fun Quinn, thank you for doing this for me." She thanked her girlfriend.

Quinn smiled again, "This isn't the end though. I have one more thing and then we can go home and have dinner."

They walked some more and stopped at the nearest stand for hot chocolates with marshmallows. They had their drinks and continued walking, neither one had said a word, they were both lost in their own thoughts and taking in the tranquility of their moment together. The couple walked along and smiled at the little families and the other couple's walking along as well. It was only the brave few who would be out in temperatures this cold. Quinn stopped in front of _Belvedere Castle_ and turned to Santana.

"You were 10 years old when you told me that if you were proposed to, you would want to do it in front of _Belvedere Castle_."

Santana couldn't help but smile to keep the tears that were threatening to fall, "Quinn, what are you doing?" She asked her girlfriend softly.

Quinn continued smiling, "You wanted to feel like a princess and have your happily ever after. Hopefully, I could give it to you." She cleared her throat, "thirteen years ago, this little girl came into my life and changed it for the better. I was an angry at the world and dealing with an absentee father when this precocious girl entered my life. She was the best thing I never knew I needed…"

Santana opened her mouth to say something but was topped when Quinn held up her finger, "Let me finish, please." She tried to keep the tears from falling but was unsuccessful, "I loved you a lot Santana and it broke my heart that day I told you good-bye at the airport. I didn't realize how much you loved me and how much of a crush you had on me, until eight years later. Since you've come back into my life, it's been filled with nothing but joy. We have had our ups and downs, people trying to break us apart, and our family's approval. I realized that there is no one else I would want to spend the rest of my life with." Quinn got down on one knee and opened up the ring box revealing a platinum ring, with a princess cut diamond in the middle, surrounded by smaller diamonds along the band.

Santana was openly crying right now; she didn't care if people were watching them. She didn't care if the video ended up on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram or whatever social media. This is the moment she had always dreamed of, the moment where Quinn would ask her to marry her or she would have asked Quinn to marry her.

"Let me be your knight in shining armor, and to treat you like the queen you are. You are my sun, moon, sky and stars above. So today in front of these strangers and in front of our family."

Santana looked beyond Quinn and saw their parents, Kurt and Rachel standing there with cards which had _"Santana, will you marry me?"_

"Santana will you marry me?" Quinn asked her voice trembling with unexpressed emotion.

Santana had tears streaming down her cheeks, "Yes Quinn, I will marry you."

Quinn stood up and put the ring on Santana's finger before she was enveloped into a hug and a bruising kiss initiated by Santana. They were met with a round of applause and whistles from the people who gathered around them to watch the proposal.

Santana broke the kiss and rested her forehead against Quinn's, "I love you so much, you've made me the happiest girl in the world. I love you more than words can express; I've dreamed of this day since I was a little girl. Thank you for making my wishes come true, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

Quinn beamed, "I loved you to the moon and back."

Santana chuckled, "I love you to infinity and beyond." She kissed Quinn again.

They were hugged by their family and congratulations were issued. This was truly a very Merry Christmas. Santana was a little confused as to how everyone got here before they did.

"Not to ruin this moment, but how did you even get here? We left and you were in the middle of cooking." Santana asked.

Maribel laughed, "Ay mija, that's a secret we will never tell. Congratulations mi corazoncita."

Everything had died down and they were enjoying the moment as much as they possibly could until Xavier broke the moment, "I don't know about all of you, but it's cold out here and I am hungry. Why don't we go home and eat!"

Santana laughed, "Leave it to papi to ruin a moment thinking about food." She teased her father.

Rachel hung back, "Santana, can I talk to you for a moment?"

Santana broke free from her mother and made her way over to Rachel. They may have had their differences but that didn't mean that they didn't love each other.

"What is it Rach?"

Rachel smiled, "I just wanted to say congratulations. I know you've waited for this moment for a long time. I was there from the beginning and I am glad to be there for you in the end. I know you love Quinn very much and she loves you very much too."

Santana continued smiling, "Please don't tell me you're about to say that you've secretly been in love with me this whole time?" She teased.

Rachel pushed Santana's arm, "Get over yourself. What I wanted to say was, if anyone deserved this it's you. I'm going to hug you now" She grabbed Santana into a hug, relaxing when she felt Santana return the hug in kind.

"I love you, Rachel. Even though there are times that I want to murder you. Thank you for talking sense into me when we were younger and thank you for giving me the push that I needed."

Kurt walked over to them, "Can I get in on this hug too?"

Rachel and Santana reached out their arms and brought Kurt in for a hug as well. Santana was thankful for the both of them and she knew that the feeling was mutual.

"Let's get out of here before I turn into Elsa." Kurt joked.

Santana laughed, "I thought the cold didn't bother you anyway."

The trio made their way over to the rest of their family and they walked out of the park enjoying conversations and making plans for the upcoming wedding. Everyone broke off when Quinn and Santana made their way back to the carriage, with the plan of reconvening at the house for a much needed family dinner.

"Did you enjoy your day, my love?" Quinn asked her fiancée as they got situated in the carriage.

Santana looked from her ring to Quinn, "This was the best day ever. Leave it to Quinn Fabray to go over the top."

Quinn laughed, "Nothing but the best for my girl. Are you ready to become Mrs. Fabray-Lopez?"

"I was born ready, but I will be Santana Lopez-Fabray. You didn't know, I always come first." Santana laughed.

Quinn shook her head, "I thought that was me." She teased back.

The carriage ride back to the apartment was shorter than when they made their way to the park. The carriage driver helped them both out of the carriage and Quinn gave the guy a nice tip. Quinn and Santana made their way into the building, where they were greeted by George the doorman who had a huge smile on his face, "She said yes?" He asked.

Quinn smiled proudly, "She said, yes."

"Congratulations, you two. I wish you all the best." The man had told them sincerely.

They made their way up to their home where they were greeted with smiles and hugs from their family. Dinner was ready and all the dishes were brought out to the table and set in the middle. Everyone took their places around the table, Quinn and Santana sitting together on the left of her father. Kurt and Rachel to the right of Xavier with Maribel sitting at one end of the table and Judy sitting to her left.

Xavier stood up and raised his glass, "Today is a joyous day, we are not only celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior but we are also celebrating the joining of two souls together. It's not every day that parent's get to witness their children falling in love. It was Santana's crush, that brought us together and Quinn's loving nature that allowed Santana to flourish. I can't say we are gaining a daughter, because we've gained her on the first day she stepped on our porch, with an equally charming mother. We've gained a sister in arms and we can't leave out Kurt and Rachel our two adopted children. We've watched you both grow into wonderful adults and I am also glad to call you mine. Let's raise our glasses in a toast to our family and our daughter's engagement. May we have more holidays and gatherings like this for many years to come. Cheers."

Everyone raised their glasses and a chorus of 'cheers' rang out around the room. This was definitely better than Thanksgiving, Christmas had become one of Santana's favorite holidays again.

The food was eaten, the dishes were cleared away and now everyone was sitting in the living room watching ' _A Christmas Story'_. Kurt and Rachel had protested against staying because it was getting late, but Maribel was not having that. Santana suggested that they spend the night and they could go home in the morning. Kurt and Rachel didn't argue, they didn't want to head home alone, so they were more than happy to stay. The movie was over, and everyone was ready for bed. Maribel and Xavier made their way to Santana's old room, while Judy took the guest room and Kurt and Rachel camped out in the living room on the sofa bed.

Santana and Quinn were alone in their room, door closed with a couple of candles lit. They were enjoying the intimacy of the moment. They decided to forgo the celebratory sex and waited to celebrate when their family wasn't nearby. Santana learned her lesson when they had stayed at her parents' house. That was an embarrassing moment that she still is not able to live down.

"Did you ever think we would get here?" Santana asked her fiancée?

Quinn lifted her head off of Santana's chest, "Honestly? No, I didn't think we would actually be here. It took me a while to figure out how you felt about me and a few anvils that were dropped on my head by our parents. I had a feeling that you had a simple crush on me but I didn't know that you were in love with me. I didn't think it was possible for someone as young as you, to comprehend and understand such complex feelings. I loved you the moment I saw you, you were so cute and you looked up to me. It wasn't until I came back for your birthday, that I realized that I really loved you and it wasn't until you moved here that I finally admitted to myself that I fell in love with you. I am don't have any regrets, because it brought us here and in this moment. I wouldn't change it from the world." She kissed Santana on the lips.

Santana quirked her lips in a half smile, "I've been in love with you since I was little. I didn't understand exactly what it was until I got a little older. It's why I was so mean to Sam and wanted to be around you all the time. I thought you were the best thing since ice cream and it hurt a lot when you went away. I was mad at you but I still loved you all the same. I thought I could let it go, but I realized I couldn't. You saw me as a little sister, someone that you had to take care of, I get that. I've waited for the day for you to come back to me and tell me that you loved me just the same. You came back for my birthday and that made me really happy. I know I was a complete and total bitch to you but you made me feel things that I kept hidden away. I loved you then and I love you more now. You broke my heart but you also put it back together again…"

She cleared her throat before continuing, "You have always been my forever. You are my past, my present and my future. Te amo hoy, manana y en el futuro."

No more words were exchanged they had said everything that needed to be said. There would be more to discuss later about future plans and wedding plans. Those conversations could wait, but it was this moment, the two of them together that mattered the most. Quinn listened as Santana's breathing evened out and fell into a dreamless sleep wrapped in the arms of the woman she loves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have it the proposal! It wasn't too cheesy was it? I got the idea of the marriage proposal from when my ex had proposed to me, but our proposal was in the fall on my birthday. She didn't sing but she did propose to me in front of The Belvedere Castle. Sadly, we did not get married because of reasons, I felt that this would be an epic way for Quinn to propose without being all cliched. Thank you for reading and reviewing. Until next time my lovelies~XOXO~NR ;-)


	38. Not A Chapter But A Thank You

I know I promised an epilogue, but I honestly couldn't come up with one that would be satisfactory. I've decided to leave it at the last chapter, I may or may not revisit this verse again, it all depends on if I get more inspiration for it.

I would like to take the time out to thank everyone who took the time to review, favorite, followed and sent me pm's. There are way too many people to list and to thank, but a shout out to the faithful ones, I love you so damn much!

Special shout out to the whole Quinntana and Glee fandom, we may not be endgame, but Quinntana will always be in our hearts. We took a little ship and made it into a bigger one and I was happy to be a proud member of The Good Ship Quinntana. I loved them since season 1 and even though we've had opposition from Faberry and Brittana, we still held our own. We proved once again that we are indeed the classiest and most flawless fandom in Glee. Keep shipping and keeping Quinntana alive.

Until next time my lovelies,

XOXO~Nayanna Rivergron


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